Pasado Alternativo
by Aleth
Summary: Harry defeated Voldemort but everything is still the same. Discovering the secrets of his family, he plans to travel to the past and to met his future bride Merope Gaunt. DarkHarryFather of Voldemort. Secrets. Family. Power.
1. 1 The Ritual of Time

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

This was created by the inspiration of some fics that I had read . so I hope you enjoy.

If you have any ideas for this strory, please tell me. Maybe I will use them even with all the ideas in my head.

This are the three previous chapters of new past, i changed the name and made it the first chapter, for those who already read it, you must read it again because there are like 7 or 8 pages more for this chapter

This is AU to extreme.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Harry had been having strange dreams recently…a blond girl.

Some months had passed since the defeat of the Dark Lord in the famous fight at Hogwarts. His scar was gone by the time he killed Voldemort. Albus said it could be a sign that the prophecy had been fulfilled, and his future no longer be managed by it; instead he would be the one who make his own destiny.

The dreams began on Halloween. They were like a kind of vision. Harry could identify that what he was seeing was happening elsewhere, given his experience with Voldemort and his studies in Occlumency. The girl was young, maybe sixteen years old, had golden hair that reaches his waist and wore an old dress. Her skin was very pale almost white, her eyes were a dark blue and her nose was straight. In fact the girl was not pretty, the best way to describe her would be plain, her clothes did not help her and the fact of her being always dirty did not improve her image. However for some odd reason the girl was familiar to Harry. Perhaps he had seen her somewhere but could not remember where or when he had seen her. And so, without knowing who was the mysterious young girl, the time pass, but the dreams did not disappear.

Harry turned nineteen years and his dreams were the same. The dreams were about the same girl doing various activities such as cooking, cleaning, etc. The strange thing was that every time he saw the girl Harry had the feeling that she was wearing a glamour, and if he was right, it was a powerful one.

Harry had been obsessed with the girl of his dreams. To find out who she was and why he dream of her. For hours without end he attempted to discover her identity even with the help of his Pensieve, he couln't find anything. Apparently the girl had not gone to Hogwarts, but then where had Harry seen her before.

The Magical world was recovering from the war. It was as if nothing had happened, except for the amount of people who died. The Ministry was still corrupted and the way in which they treat magical beings like vampires and werewolfs was the same. Remus was fortuned to be dead otherwise he would have been very disappointed. The worst thing was that many people thought it was for the best. Everyone in the magical community was being lost in the past while the muggles were entering the new era of the twenty-first century.

Harry even with his title could not do anything. People began to spread the rumor that even with only nineteen years he was getting senile for what he had lived through. Some believed that he was crazy. His friends were dead and those that were not, have exile themselfs or worse they had lost their minds by too many cruciatus curses.

He was alone and with his new freedom and isolation, Harry start to see all the flaws that the Ministry had. The curious thing was that the first Ministry was perfect in almost everything related to its laws on magical creatures and the Lords of Old Houses, but that kind of Ministry disappeared. The last minister who had a Ministry like that died in 1807.

Harry did not like his life without the exciting feeling of being in danger or without the Dark Arts. Harry had recently discovered his affinity with them and loved it. For this type of art, you had to sacrifice an emotion. The patronus spell where you have to sacrifice a happy thought is a Dark Arts curse, however, not many know about it and it was because of being Dark which make it one of the most difficult charms.

It was said that the affinity with some kind of magic was caused by genetics, but in reality was due to will and power, that was the only way to make any kind of magic and bring it to the highest point.

What Harry found after several hours reading about different topics was quite surprising, especially having completed a war that had began by the conflict of blood. Apparently, it was true that there was a difference in the blood and purebloods fought for the best for the magical world to some extent. It was a fact that power was inherited in the blood. The best healers in the world with the potion masters had discovered it long ago, but many people did not give the proper importance to it at that time and the few that did, took care that their families came together with the right people, turning the discovery in a form of prejudice that nowadays was frowned upon. The research demonstrated that the older the family, the more power it would have. That was the real reason for the start of the purebloods belief. Muggle-borns were not as powerful due to them being the first of their family with magical abilities and that was precisely what made the hatred the purebloods have for them. That was the beginning of immense conflict and war.

With this information, it was curious to know where Harry had gained so much power when his mother was a muggle-born. But even more curious to know about his mother. Many people had told him that his mother was a witch with great power, but it was not possible because of her blood. Even he admitted that Hermione was very intelligent, the best witch of his generation in the written tests because she certainly was not powerful. It was precisely this knowledge what make him research on some potion to clarify his ancestry in the Black Library, but he found nothing.

It was not until two months later that he found the specific book which contained the appropriate potion in the library of one of the Potter Manors. Harry made the potion and required ritual and his findings were not entirely surprising.

Apparently his mother was a pureblood. How she managed to end with the Evans family was a mystery. Although he could find out about his mother's family with another potion of the same book and some collections of the History of Old Families. It seems that he was not just the only Potter left but also was the last Isegard. An old family of purebloods whom disappeared in the late 1800's. And even better was that the Isegard family was a branch of the Slytherin line, with the main family being the Gaunts. Harry's ability to talk to snakes was inherited by his mother's family.

Harry also discovered the more important secret that the Potters have and that was protected by a very old oath that allowed to pass the secret from Lord to heir. But with the death of James, the secret was passed to Harry with the Potter book, which have the history, the reasons for alliances and all the mysteries concerning the family. It was a sort of journal of all the Lords of the family.

The secret was an old ritual that had made the first Potter. This was a dark ritual that was lost over the years. The ritual had a high price that would be carried by the whole family through the generations forever. A curse, some would say but in reality it was because of the curse that the ritual was made.

The ritual would give to whoever did it a great power, but to ensure that both the power and emotion sacrificed was equivalent to power given the curse was put on the family, at least in the main family.

The ritual was to put ten percent of the power of the next generations of the family in the person who had performed the ritual. The first Potter, was a man of great power but died relatively young in his one hundred six years of age. Apparently his body could not hold so much power, even if his own magic tried to protect him.

The curse placed on the Potter family to ensure the sacrifice of the ritual was the choice to love any kind of person. The heirs being always first-born sons would fell in love with purebloods no matter the circumstances. Not only that but their bodies were also specific with whom should be the next Lady Potter; the most powerful woman available at the time. This answered the obsession that James had to take Lily as his future wife. With this family curse, the Potters assured their offspring and their line to always being powerful without the need of arranged marriages.

This was pretty damn interesting and even more curious was that maybe the girl that Harry had been dreaming was the future wife that the curse of his family had chosen. Perhaps this was the way of the curse to communicate to the currently heir of the family to find the right person.

Now, the only matter was of finding the girl and so it start an investigation to find a way; either spell, potion or ritual, to find what would become his mate for life.

It was during his twenties´s birthday in which Harry went to Hogwarts to talk with his former headmaster. Well if you could consider a conversation, to get the actual headmaster out of the room to chat with a portrait. Beside Albus was too interesting to pass the time, to be able to resist him. Moreover, the current headmaster was scared of Harry.

It was at moments like this where he spoke with his old friend, about old times where Harry really thought he was getting senile. And certainly lost in the past because the future really was no longer looking so great. But it was when they were talking of the year they became closer, his sixth year, that Harry found the answer he had been looking for a long time, an eternity in the opinion of Harry.

The girl of his dreams was not other that Merope Gaunt, the last female descendant of the main family of the line of Slytherin. The same girl who was the mother of Tom Riddle and a woman who had died many years ago. That was how Harry had thought he had another curse; a persnal one, to never being normal. His future wife was not there for him, she was dead. How was it possible that the curse has directed him to someone who had died?

Perhaps it was time to start another research. This time about time travel.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Merope was a young girl of seventeen, who had no appropriate education in the most important thing for a witch. Yes, she did not have any kind of instruction about magic. His father did not trust her and all that she could do without attracting attention and even pass as a flaw in the kitchen, was potions.

She knew that she had magic but she didn't had a wand . The wand that was supposed to be hers; was actually a wand of practice made for children under ten years. And better yet the wand was broken, which made her do many mistakes when trying to use it.

From the moment that Merope was born, she was said she was ugly. Even there were several occasions in which her brother would told her that no man would look at her more than once because of her ugly appearance. She had accepted that since she was a child.

But in her seventeen birthday; Merope realized that there was something that made her feel dirty, as if she had something over her, something that made her feel uncomfortable, but without the necessary information, she never knew what it was that made her feel that and asking her family was out of question.

It was another typical day in the life of Merope. She was cooking something different for dinner, at least that was what it seemed. Merope was trying to make a potion that she had read about in a book a few days earlier, when she had a shiver and since then the feeling of been stare at started. Unfortunately the feeling never disappeared at all.

The mysterious incident, as she began to call it, became very common for her. But on no occasion was she able to discover where it came from or better yet who was. His father and brother were rarely home when it happened to her and rejected them as potential stalkers, there was not really, someone who would like to see her by choice clean or do some other ordinary thing. Days passed and the incident was never again in the mind of Merope and became more like a habit.

It was a sunny day when the Riddle boy had been seen by the village riding in the beautiful steed, black as night, and highlighting the beauty of the young man, as always accompanied by her equally beautiful friend. Merope, sometimes fantasize that it was her, the beautiful girl in the horse accompanied by the young Riddle but when she recovered herself out of her own fantasies; she had the strange feeling that even as handsome as he was, the Riddle boy was not worth at all.

The reaction that Merope had on the young Riddle was very rare, if not long ago she would have die of joy just thinking that she could be the next Mrs. Riddle. Perhaps the influence of her father about the pureblood ideology was starting to show in her.

But all she knew was going to change very soon with the arrival of a stranger.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Marvolo Gaunt was a man who was proud of his ancestry and despite not having money and living in a not so nice place surrounded by muggles, he thought he was above all others, who could be better than a direct descendant of Slytherin anyway?. His son, Morfin, was excellent and had great power and it was better to think her daughter did not exist and instead there was a house-elf.

The reality was very different. His son, despite being powerful, was not able to control his power and many times it ended causing disaster and his daughter had a block on most of her power that was placed in the Slytherin locket that she always carried around. Beside Merope had a glamour on her, it really didn't serve that people realized that she was a beauty if the village was full of muggles. If he could just give her to the highest bidder of the richest purebloods; but no, he hadn't the contacts or the money to properly present her to the High Society of the Wizarding World. It was better not to expect anything from her and have her locked in for life. Morfin could always kidnap and rape a pureblood and have an offspring to continue the line or perhaps it was better the idea of the union of his children and have a stronger offspring. It was common knowledge that magic prevented any deformations or diseases that were common for muggles.

But his plans changed when out of nowhere a young man knock his door and ask for the hand of his daughter in marriage.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It took three years for the research and experiments. Harry now had the perfect ritual to travel to the past without any impact on the present; because if his research was right then the moment of his arrival to the time he wanted the magic would do a reaction chain that would create an alternative reality. Without the responsibility of having to go back to the future, Harry could do whatever he wanted. However the fact was that because of his staying in the past as a part of it with his soul and body the same way; his legacy and magic contained by his curse would make sure the inability of the existente of a future Harry Potter. It was so, to not create a paradox.

With the field free of all expectations and the attention, the only thing he had to worry about was to find out how the curse could work properly without interfering with the curse of the Potters that were in the past, because really he didn't need to have fights over the same girl for his offspring and of course how to change everything for Harry to be seem as a Isegard. It appeared that the research made by Dobby of his family on his mother side was not very accurate and he would have to resort to other alternatives, when necessary.

... ... ... ..

The ritual seemed to be simple but only one mistake and he would die or worse, he would be trapped between dimensions, something like a limbo from which he could never escape but it really did not matter, he would do it, even with that kind of risk; the benefits far exceed what would happened if worse come to happen.

It was ridiculous but the great Harry Potter, champion of the light, vanquisher of the Dark Lord, and as rumors said completely mad and senile was desperate to disappear from this life that did not lead to something more than misery.

…

On Saturday night, with everything ready, Harry set out to do whatever was needed to get out of his misery, ironically without killing him, if things worked acording to the plan. So that day when the moon seemed like the smile of the Cheshire cat of Alice in Wonderland, Harry began with the ritual.

The ritual was to make seven rings of 'power' from outside to inside with a purpose for each of them, it was in itself a big circle and put the outline in the first 'ring' and then a closer contour was the second ring and so on until you have just a small circle in the center. The ritual had seven circles for dual representation, the first was that the number seven was a symbol of power because of the seven elements and the latter because it was seven, the number of dimensions that he had to 'jump' to reach his destination.

With his new wand, since it appeared that Harry nowadays needed a wand with basilisk venom as core, due to a mysterious personality change. Instead of power that was represented by a phoenix feather core and specialized in defense against dark arts thanks by the type of wood, Harry now needed his wand to be flexible for all kinds of risk as black magic arts, rituals and the creation of spells, so the need of the flexibility of the basilisk and the wood was walnut, which has not specialty for anything but it intensified the use of the core.

With the wand, Harry began drawing a circle on the ground with specific runes for change, alternative, power, infusion, past, permanence and many more to establish the basics and the first part of the ritual, the circle was about three meters radius and represented the intention of the ritual. Then in the second ring, Harry used a spell that allowed him to write in the air, as Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, spells of his own invention, in different languages, the most important in Greek, Latin, Zulu and Maya. This ring represents the way in which the ritual would be performed.

The third ring was composed of every kind of rocks with different energies infused in them by natural way, which made them very difficult to gather; this ring represent materials that were needed for the ritual to succeded. The fourth ring had arithmancy equations which were written in the earth, representing the order of the ritual.

The fifth ring represents the balance, this ring was very important, it would give Harry the opportunity to come in just one piece and not cause chaos to the place he was to reach, so for this ring Harry had planned to put a symbol of ying and yang, but with his experiments, he realizad that it would not be enough, so he come up by using a representation of life and death. Harry used two snakes that were born the same time and had to be completely identical, one had to be alive and the other dead, but it had to be by natural reasons. That was not the best of the situation, as Harry had to wait for a miracle, so to speak. He buy several snakes and hope for them to have hatchings and then see how nature works; monitoring them all the time. That was an experience that he did not want to repeat for the rest of his days. He was not that sure of his love for snakes anymore.

The sixth ring was of the symbols of the elements with the elements; he had written in the air the symbol of each element in an almost guttural way which were the original and just below each symbol had crystals that had that element within them.

The last circle was where Harry was standing, in it was written in the form of the kanji for the word void, because in this circle was what was supposed to disappear and appear on the other place, the idea was to make just such an empty space that could be filled at any time with anything and at the same time left whatever it had to some other place. It was a portal that existed and not at the same time but just for a few seconds, necessary to pass through it.

When Harry finished writing what was needed and removed from his robes the stones and placed them in the correct places; he point his wand into the soil and concentrated the power needed without saying a word. From his wand came out a white light hitting the earth causing a chain reaction that active all the rings and create a vortex where the kanji void had been. Harry was swallowed with the other rings out of that place forever.

….

Disruption magic had happened in Germany. One, which go unnoticed due to the crisis that the country had; it was not that important a simple disruption when it was so trivial. They did not have to worry about other things that were not something that would get them food to their tables. WWI had very serious impact in some countries especially Germany and it would be easy to pretend he was a refugee fleeing from the country, trying to move on of the tragedy of his past after surviving a war that had only caused death. Well, this version would work for the muggles but not for wizards who had been untouched by war.

From scratch in an empty lot, dim lights of different colors appear and began to form letters or symbols in the earth for any individual who did not know they were runes. Symbols forming a circle and suddenly vanished, leaving in his absence a young man lying on the ground and by the groans of weariness and pain that were heard, it seemed that he would not rise for a while.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Harry got up from his 'confortable' position on the floor after what he deemed necessary to recover his energy aka four hours and that was what he had been able to count, the rest was spent sleeping in the middle of nowhere. With a simple spell to ensure that he was in the right time; the letters floating were of March 4, 1919 and was in Germany. He was not sure exactly where. Their was a spell to know where he was specifically, but Harry was not able to recall it, for now it would have to do, just to know the country.

If Dobby was right his relatives would be in Spain, since despite being of Italian origin, were refugees from the outbreaks of fascism taking place in Italy; which was strange in itself because wizards and muggles do not mix, maybe there were other reasons for his relatives to be in Spain but with so little information, he was not sure.

Thinking about Dobby, Harry took of his pocket a small black box that when got big with a simple murmur of "Engorgio" turned into his trunk of seven locks, very similar to the one used by Moddy but enhanced with more spells for protection and of course a better style. Honestly, Moddy had chosen the most basic, without any kind of decoration, but the one that Harry has had magical drawings of silver snakes that were moving throughout the trunk and if someone other than him tried to open it, they would be bitten by the picture and with no medical treated soon would had a very high probability of death. Not only that but the trunk in certain positions with the light seemed to change color, even if they were still darker colors.

Harry put the trunk on the ground and from his clothes took out some keys, opening the third lock, the trunk was opened suddenly with a high snap. Dobby was out of it in an instant to breathe in a place that was not locked. It was clear that Harry could not get rid of the elf since it had accepted to be into his service.

"Harry Potter, sir" Dobby said with great enthusiasm while looking around "Dobby is happy, we made it, but where are we? "asked Dobby formally, which almost causes a heartattack to Harry. Dobby could apparently improve its way of talking or maybe it was because of the travel in the trunk having some kind of affect in Dobby and if so, then he would put Dobby there more often.

"We are in Germany, try to make some maps of the place, maybe in future it will be useful" and with that comment Dobby disappeared with a crack. What Harry took in mind was the Second World War, he was not sure which side to support but still he had some years more for planning something better under the given circumstances, the first thing was to establish with a high status, to be untouchable to certain people. Now what was the story that he would use in this past? Damn! He knew that he had forgotten something, where would he could get the necessary papers to appear as legitimate, also he needed to have a credible history with his almost-family in Spain. It seem that he would had to take more time to research, perhaps in the Isegard Manor in Italy, he would find a family tree such as the Blacks or something that could help him.

With a crack Dobby reappeared again after nearly two days, Harry had spent that time in a camp-house as the one that the Weasleys used in his fourth year when they went to see the match of Ireland against Bulgaria.

Harry had used the time to think about his next move, he definitely could not go at that time for Merope because if he was not mistaken, the girl would have been twelve almost thirteen years old, it was not yet time for that. His best option now, was to find out everything he could about Isegard and the best way would be to investigate the manor of the main family in Italy, even if he had to enter without invitation; for that intention alone, Harry had brought the little things that he still have of the Weasley twins.

Dobby have in its hands a big parchment bend in ways that were very rare with runes in strategic locations which gave Harry the idea that the elf had finished his work quickly. It appear, Malfoys didn't knew how to take good use of their elfs or better yet they hadn't realize what they had with some elf like Dobbe serving them.

Despite the fact that Dobby was a creature who had ideas of freedom and of good over evil, it had accepted to serve Harry for his help in freeing it and because after contemplating the ideas that he had on the magical world and its own investigations had led Dobby to believe that it was for the best, even if it was only to improve the way they treated its race. Dobby gave him the parchment that disappeared with a simple touch from Harry's wand.

"Well, it's time to go to Italy Dobby" Without a sound Harry and Dobby disappeared.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..

It had taken a week to locate the proper place, it was really well protected the area where the mansion Isegard was. Not only that but during the trip which was first walking and then by broom had many problems. Apparently the house-elves do not like to use brooms for other things if not sweeping and Dobby screamed so loud, Harry was sure to remember it forever. Dobby swear not to do it again and threatened to jump if Harry didn't stop and of course the likelyhood of his favorite broom disappearance.

The Ancestral Manor of the Isegard family was breathtaking for the ones that saw it for the first time. High windows providing light on sunny days. Adorned with large columns decorated with various magical creatures made of marble. The mansion was splendid considerating it had been abandoned for some years. The wards undoubtedly were the responsables of it well keep.

With a few drops of blood at the entrance and the gates were opened without noise. The wards had accepted Harry as a family member so the doors of the entrance as the doors of the rooms in which he stood open for him. All except one. The second largest door of the house, the port of the entry was the largest, apparently gave to a study or perhaps a small library. Harry had searched the entire house and all he found useful was some pictures and some gossips, the portraits told him while passing. Apparently the door was opened only for the family head and as he was not, he would have to use other means to open it. With some products, he retain of the Weasley, he exploded the door with such an impressive performance that the relatives of the portraits remained speechless for a few moments after which started to stutter and the buzz began among them.

The good thing was that Harry had bewitched them to tell nobody, what they had witnesses, they could talk among themselves, but someone who had no previous Knowledge of the secrets, would only heard the common rambling which the portraits talk all the time.

The room was a small library with two bookcase filled with books in parseltongue and a small table with its chair, that was all. The walls were a cream color that seemed made of parchment with no window but with beautiful pictures showing beautiful scenes of nature as the waterfall that had a siren that was not very amicable or the one that showed a high cliff overlooking with centaurs, whom were not very courteous to strangers, but the best was a snake carved on a stone at which the sun always was illuminating. The snake was moving just to keep Harry always in sight.

"_What do you want here?_" asked the snake after a careful inspection.

"_I want to know who I am?_" Harry answered, very calm, as if it was natural that someone was not aware of who he was "_I'm an orphan and the only thing I know is that I am part of this family in some way, the wards let me enter, which confirms that this family shared the same blood that I have, but I do not know who was my sire_ "

"_A decent Isegard at least appears_" said the snake getting out his tongue, tasting that the person that faced it, it could tell he was powerful for his smell and flavor of his aura "_the last head of this family died without heirs, this is the first time someone enters this place in two decades_"

Harry said nothing for a few minutes trying to understand what he had been just said by the snake, apparently there was not a main family for the Isegards anymore, but if so then how is that there were others as refugees in Spain, who was then the new head of the family? Before he could ask the snake, it had started talking again.

"_You are not the head of the family. You destroy the door, if you were the legitimate heir to be the new head of the family, the door would had opened for you_"

"_Who is the new head of the family?, as you say it, sounds as if there were no candidates when I know that there are more Isegards left in Spain that got out of here"_ Harry asked confused, what the snake said made no sense.

"_Only three with Isengard blood are left, not counting you_" the snake replied "_You are new to all this about the secrets of the family. When the head dies his heir precedes him but in this case there was no heir, so the other family members have the opportunity to be the new head of the family if they passed a test._" The snake said while changing position "_Family members have the option to decline the test if they are not interested in being the head or if they do not feel capable enough to pass the test. Two decades ago the head died and all the remaining members decided to take the test. Of these only three survived but did not complete the test so there is no head for the Isegard family._"

Harry did not know what to think, what kind of test kill an entire family, leaving only three members? And even worse none of the survivors pass it. It was something more to think about, being the head of the family would be perfect for his purpose and the power he will need to go unnoticed, as the head, he would not have to give many explanations about his origin and to have three members who might be useful later. But as always there has to be a trick, a catch. Something about it didn't sound right.

"_What kind of test is this, that needs to be taken to be the new leader of the Isegard family?_" Harry asked in all seriousness

"_Only if you accept the test will I tell you, only those who accept it can know, remember that it is a family secret_" replied the snake coiled while in the stone on which was carved

Harry thought for a few moments to take a decision. The test was certainly dangerous, but again what do normal things happening around Harry?

Accepting the test did not prove his courage, it was only evidence of his stupidity to get in first and ask questions later, but instead of this; what other solution could he take to cover his past? In those moments that even when the world of Muggles in Europe was in crisis did not mean the same thing happened with the wizards.

They requested an explanation and would not believe him, the move of being a refuge would work for Muggles but not for him. The test seem to be more attractive over the minutes.

Being recognized as an Isengard would help to have better contacts with families of pureblood, also could benefit from some properties they had all over Europe, but the risk of dying is not reassuring; however, something in all this, to be in the edge between being able or not to die got a lot of emotion in Harry.

He had not been this excited since the death of Voldemort.

That was, that being who loved anxiety of the proximity of danger inside of Harry accept without thinking twice before his Slytherin side came to tell him that it was stupid to die in their first search for just a trilled feeling; but again, it would be kind of Slytherin to accepted the risk of his life for more power.

The snake gave a nod with its head, implying that it had heard his approval and without knowing Harry was stuck in a dark place, so dark he could not even see his hand in spite of it being in front of his face. That's when the pain began.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was intense, the pain, everywhere

His experiences with the cruciatus curse had not been able to prepare him for the pain he was feeling, the pain was such that after about minutes, it feel like his mind was separated from his body for the propuse to no longer feel, anything at all. At that moment Harry thought that this was the feeling that people should have had when turned mad by the cruciatus curse. Was not it fabulous? People of his time thought that he was crazy and now in the past he really was.

Harry felt like a spirit, floating in the nothing, but that change very soon when from the darkness, images began to move as if in a Pensieve, but they passed at high speed, Some pictures were shocking, most of them about war and curiously, about births.

What was interesting, was that Harry feel as if all the images or more memories were getting inside his head, the emotions that accompanied these images were felt by Harry at the same time.

Harry found himself laughing and crying without apparent reasons.

However, the emotions depleted Harry from his energy, it was only because of his force of will, which prevents him from collapsing from where he was floating.

Harry closed his eyes, but the images remained, the emotions as well, the magic did not arrive there, even with Harry trying to invocate it from the depths of his very being, where his core was.

It was just his mastery in Occlumency which prevents him of being lost in the memories, but blocked them was impossible. The only thing he could do was reduce the speed, so as not to feel all the memories in one stroke.

Harry knew that what he was doing would not last for long, he had to think about how to get out of there. The problem, he could not recalled why he was there in the first place. Each second that passed seemed like an eternity with all memories, it was like to live all at once, including living the death and in that moment everything start all over again.

A memory in particular, about a boy studying for a test made Harry remember that he was also there for a test, but what was the test for and how could he pass it?

Nobody had told him what he had to do to pass or at least he did not remember someone saying something about it; the images became slower, but it was not thanks to his Occlumency.

Harry did not know how much time had passed but he realized that sometimes when there was an interesting memory like a ritual or a very old spell or even see a magical creature, Harry live that memory with more intensity as if he was really there and the emotions were perfectly connected with it, these kind of memories were growing and Harry had the feeling that those memories were becoming his.

At that moment Harry knew what was the test.

Live all the memories as if they were yours, with the same intensity and then they will be yours.

The test was not magical he couldn't do magic in that place, wherever there was. It was about getting all the memories to be yours; only someone with strong will to not lost himself in the memories and go crazy, and with the ability to manage it, in such a short time; to gather all the information without getting a brain problem would pass the test.

The memories surely were of important people which belonged to the family; but the trick in it, was not to lost themselves in the memories, even if they were very tempting. Losing your identity in the process or trying to block them to avoid losing your identity, was not an option. You have to accept them and trust that it will accept you in return, making them part of you.

With that, Harry began to live all the memories in the same way and thus the speed decreased each time until it went as if the memories were a normal life and after the death of that person; it start other memories of other person, which means Harry also 'live' the death of these individuals and it was very rare. Now he knew what was like to die being devoured by a beast, the feel of your soul be sucked out of your body by the avada kedavra curse and many others not so pleasant ways of dying, but he also knew what was the feeling of making one of the most difficult rituals and success in the end or the satisfaction of having overcome the expectations of a parent or have a pet, even be turned into a magical creature, but the more important and most treasured memories he had was of the births of his firstborn being male or female, the feeling of that time was unique, much better than an orgasm or having everything in life.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It had passed a week and three days.

The snake in the stone was still watching Harry; apparently sleeping, but it knew better. Harry was in something similar to a trance and there was still the possibility that he would pass the test or at least, it was safe to say that he would survived because of the color of his aura, another one that scape, but didn't pass.

Hours passed and then it happened.

The taste of Harry changed when the snake took out his tongue to test the condition in which the person -that came in the ancestral mannor of the Isegard telling half-truth things about his origen- was.

Being an Isegard the man had a right to take the test and the snake was really desperate to have a new master, this would be its last chance, at least until a new Isegard was born.

The new flavor along with an increase in his aura of power, the serpent could tell that its time looked in the stone was over.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Harry woke, for the second time in the past, on the ground or at least that was his first impression because of the very stiff feeling in his back, but it was on the desktop where he was, that did not really help his body feel better by the awkward position in which he had been put there.

Thinking of the desktop, Harry got curious, he certainly did not fall on it, he begin to tumble in his head the question of who or what had put him there.

Could it be a house-elf that he had not noticed? No. The main house despite being in good condition was sealed by the magic. It was the head of the family who give the magic or life so to speak to the mannor. Workers who have magic in the house would be frozen or for a better explanation, they were hibernating until the new master was chosen; even the portraits could not move from the portrait were they were in the time of the head of the family death and have to wait until the new head of family for over a week.

When Harry opened his eyes a wave of magic had spread from his body which had traveled all the land of the house, waking the whole magical creature that was hibernating.

Harry sat on the table and massage on the temples of his head, despite having passed the test, that does not mean that he was not mentally exhausted, even if his body was in excellent condition or better than it was when he had first enter the mannor.

Harry used that time to analyze the changes in him, he felt powerful.

Harry knew that because of the prophecy, his power was equal to that of Voldemort and that make him a wizard of great power.

Compared with other wizards, he could easily say that he was the most powerful one in England, at least during his own time but now he feel that his power had been tripled and not only that but also he had now very important information, the history and secrets of the Isegard family.

The test was very similar to the journal of the Potters in the daily issues of knowledge and memories. All this would be useful, to do with it whatever he wanted in this time.

Recalling the important data on the family that was now his, Harry knew that the three Isegards living in Spain knew that they had a new head of family for their brands and will return as quickly as possible to their ancestral home.

The Isegard being old also had family secrets. One of the them was that Isegard could 'see' and thus make sure to know who was one of them by blood.

All Isegard were born with a mark that was the hallmark of the family of a black snake coiled in a crown of three peaks of silver adorned with emeralds, all of it inside a circle. The mark was a tattoo of black color and could be anywhere in the body, the best thing about this secret was that the mark could only be seen by those of Isegard blood, for which no impostor could claim the Isegard name without showing his or her brand. It was very similar to the control the Black family have with the tree which updated itself every time a child was born legitimate or not.

But the day that someone was accepted as the new head of the family his tattoo change position to be just above the heart, where it is rumored to be the place where it was also the core of a wizard, while being at the same time the entry for the soul.

The head of the family swears by his magic unwittingly to protect the family.

It was at the time a new head was accepted that the others Isegards feel a great pleasure through their brands, the kind of pleasure that the new head of the family have when his eldest offspring is born.

Harry looked directly at the painting which had the snake on the stone and smiled.

Unbuttoning his clothing to expose the top of his chest and looking down to it. Just above where his heart was, the mark of Isegard show itself proudly.

Touching it with reverence, Harry looked back to the serpent "_I had never noticed that I had this brand_" smiling, continue talking "_Just for its touch I feel a great sense of belonging ... this is the first time that I truly feel part of something more great, I feel the love my family and my ancestors have for me and in exchange I vow to protect this family with my life and my power. It will be my descendants to be in charge of this honor _"

The snake replied "_I suppose you were never able to see your brand, its to be expected; your brand was in the back of your body, right where your neck joins your back_"

Harry smiled sadly, he wished he could have found it before, maybe then he would have this feeling of love that he now had "_never anything escapes you, Indra. It's good to know that despite being locked up there, you are still good at observing everything around you. Tell me it was you who put me in the desk?_" Harry got up from the desk and raising to his given height of six feet three inches stood elegantly; the snake give a nod and Harry smile got widder "_I need not ask how you knew where my mark was, being the guardian of this family you can see the marks even if they are covered by clothes to better fulfill your mission, to protect the head of the family_ "

"_It has been a long time with you coiled in that stone, it must have been tiring when you've always had much freedom, even if you can not be that far away from the one you are protecting"_ speak Harry with some sadness and great happiness to see the soon to be free guardian of the head of the family, while he approached the wall where the painting was "_Lets go Indra, it is time for you to be with me_" replied Harry stretching his hand towards the painting and touching with it what feel as scales of snake; in a whisper that was only high enough to be heard by the snake "_I free you from the rock on which is founded our family, your loyalty as guardian, is only to me_"

The serpent bright in a dark green and blue flashes in seconds, the snake started to get into the skin of Harry as if it was a tattoo that moved.

The snake was changing colors while moving from the hand, to the arm and then to the chest; to get to the place where the brand of the Isegard was, Indra became a black color with green eyes so bright as Harry's for a few moments and was absorbed by the brand which twinkle in a beautiful emerald green and shining when the brand turn three turns to the right one to the left and the symbol being upside down, the glow faded and from the brand Indra came out again, this time heading towards Harry's neck and then back toward the brand of the Isegard leaving it as the place where its tail and head touched, leaving a tattoo that changes color based on the light and that still surrounds the neck of Harry as a necklace, with some parts in the way of "s"

Harry turned his gaze to the shattered door and knew that if he wanted to do what he was thinking, he first had to fix it or else run the risk that a portrait or a house-elf saw one of the most important secrets of the family, perhaps the most important, that only the heads of family had knowledge and access.

Harry could only sigh thinking of spells that could help him rebuild the door with even better protection than the previous one and that only because of a miracle had he came to destroy.

The manor was reinforced with magic from the head of the family who lived there and having spent twenty years without an owner, had weakened the mansion by spreading that magic in the hibernation of the magical creatures that inhabited the house at the time that the head of the family had died, instead of the segurity of the furniture; besides, the products of the Weasley's twins were very good when it came to destroy.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

At a party in the Ancestral Manor of the Vega in Spain, was carried out a feast that would be the first to open the first season of the year in high society.

The main hall was beautifully decorated with the latest fashion colors of spring, the snacks made at one of the finest restaurants were offered to any guest, and music if somewhat tenuous, could be heard throughout the hall and people danced with great elegance and those who began to be presented to the high society tried to behave the right way to make a good impression.

In the midst of this event in one of the gardens a cry of pure ecstasy was heard, but failed to disturb the party's main hall, the scream had not been high enough.

A young lady sitting under a tree was overloaded trying to regain her breathing and composure, she wore an elegant gown of wine color, highlighted her pale skin and black hair fell to cover her back.

A smile formed in her red lips and then laugh break the silence that had came after her scream.

"It's time to go home, a new king has been crowned" the girl whispered.

"Our new king must be powerful, if he passed the test of which we only were able to escape" replied a man who appeared to be in his fifties, but with wizards you could never know for sure.

The girl turned to see him "I did not know that someone of our blood had not take the test"

"No matter who he is, even if he is not legitimate, what is important is that we now have one. Our family will return to its power under his leadership" said the man from a nearby tree and continued looking at the sky; this time whispering to himself "Crowned at this time, the moon is smiling at you. Must be ..." Smiling, the man continue speaking "Androcles was the only Isegard which was chosen by this date, almost four centuries of that, I hope that history would repeat itself, we will arrive to the glory with him"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Elsewhere in Spain, a dark alley, a shadow could be seen, six feet one inch of height.

From the shadows just a phrase was heard "royalty for only one, I am loyal only to you"

Things were going to be interesting.


	2. 2 The Isegard Famly

Harry had been trying to fix the door for some time but for some strange reason instead of repairing it; he was destroying it, in even smaller pieces.

The increase in power he had because of the test, led to a loss in his control.

Harry knew he have always been more powerful than the average wizard, his frequent magical accidents in all his childhood showed it. The possession of a wand had helped him get a hold of his own power, but sometimes his emotions got the best of him, like when he blew up his Aunt Marge.

But in this case, Harry had a very _significant_ increase in his power so the control that had so far agreed with the amount of power he had was unbalanced and therefore he put more of the magic necesary for a spell, which in return, make the spell to not function the right way or like Harry had been experimenting so far, to not funtion at all. Who would had say? a wizard having problems for having to much magic; just the thought of it sounded ridiculous.

Indra had suggested to start training again in his control, starting with doing spells that require a lot of magic and then advance until he could be able to do spells that require less; it was a good idea, the problem was that it was very slow and he had no time to lose, his family would come from Spain at the latest the next day but they could be appearing in a few moments.

It was frustrating wanting to do something and not being able to do so, just because of an unsuitability, it was a pity he didn't knew of a stronger spell for repair.

Besides, Harry had to suppress his power in some way, it was not advisable to have someone else knew of how much power he have at the moment, even if it was only to intimidate.

_Well, it could have been worse_ was the only thing Harry could think, because only insane would he say it out loud. Fate was not very benevolent when it came to Harry Potter.

A few minutes passed, and Harry had no successed in his quest to repair the door and did what anybody would normaly do in his desperate place. Yes, he did something very Gryffindor but if someone dared to ask him, he would answered that it was the most logical thing to do at the time.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Blood magic was a branch of dark magic that was not unusual but difficult to perform for those who didn't have the proper training to not kill themselves for loss of blood; it was common knowlegde that the special blades for this kind of magic were infused with poison of some magical creatures, being the more powerful and preferable to use the ones with basilisk poison, even if they were rare.

It was because of the venom that the wounds didn't or better yet couldn't heal the normal way. The wounds were healed by the own blade that made them but for them to be closed, required a lot of magic and concentration, if not the antidote that was in the blades wouldn't come into contact with the wounds and those never heal and suffer a bloody death if the venom didn't killed them first.

So in his despair, Harry got out his blood blade, which he had done for himself with some of the venom from the basilisk he had killed in his second year in Hogwarts, and without thinking twice made a cut in his index finger of his right hand. His instincts where telling him to do it and so far it has been what had saved him in all his adventures, but of course he was not doing it just because of his instincts, he already had a plan and with a grin in his face he started what would solve all his problems.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ercio Isegard was one of those unfortunates that had remained caught in a painting that was not his. It was pure luck that allowed him to be caught just in front of where Harry was and thus able to see exactly what was happening.

He had lived in 1500 and was a man of tradition when concerned of manners and behavior. He died at the age of 141 and since then, he saw everything from the portrait he had in the house.

He noticed all the changes that occurred over time and although it was not very well seen by him, he could not deny that the changes were for the better. Especially when there were individuals in his family with great achievements in differents fields; and were the only ones added to the memories of the head of the family.

He knew, of course, about the test to be the new head of family, being that, at the time of his youth, he was chosen as head in the same way as the man in front of him.

In all his years at the ancestral mansion of Isegard he could say without any doubt, that he had never met an Isegard as rare as the one in front of him and at the same time he was sure the new head would get far.

His power was palpable, and his way of solving problems was so unpredictable that surely no one could follow his pace and the best of all was; it was just a facade, the mask so to speak. Behind all this, was a brilliant mind and someone who knew how to use his power to get what he wanted. He could see the potential and the mask the other one had, he hadn't lived so long and saw the development of his family after his death just to not been able to notice something like that. As a previous head and family member, Ercio could not ask for a better representative for the Isegard.

Still, it was curious to know what plans the young -which he did not know his name- had, doing all the painting thing right where it should be the door; on the floor, the roof and the sides, it was all covered in runes, but some were not so usual, not for Ercio at least; he never had been good with runes, preferring creation of spells for transfiguration and charms.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

How many liters of blood was supposed to have the human body? Because Harry was sure with the pace in which he was going would drained him, he had not foreseen that the door was so big.

When he finished with the door; he passed the knife on the wound, which healed without leaving any scar.

Of one of his pockets, he extracted a flask and seeing that the color was purple he took it in one shot, in these moments his weariness and headache that he had acquired for completing the test disappeared and taking another potion this time of green color his levels of blood rose recovering from the loss in little time.

Almost two hours had passed since he had begun to write the runes with his blood, which only demonstrated how big was the door.

Indra did not say anything, while Harry was writing, she didn't wanted to distract him, specially when she didn't even knew what he was planning to do to rebuild the door. The only thing that she understood was that he was going to need a lot of magic, which in these moments was the only thing that was exceeding from Harry, which also would assure the success of the ritual. Now if only Indra knew what it was supposed to do the ritual, she wouldn't feel soo nervous.

In those moments Indra could not avoid the thrilled feeling of seeing something new, centuries had passed since something exciting happened to her. Maybe her new master was more peculiar than she had first believed.

Harry insured himself that the runes were correctly and in the right place before beginning the ritual. If his memory didn't fail him for this ritual he did not need any more than the runes written with his blood where he would manipulated an element and certainly he would needed the symbol of the element he wanted to manipulate written in the palm of his hand, which he had already done. The symbol of the element he was going to use, earth, were three lines bending that met in the center.

Around the symbol was drawn a circle with four stars of seven peaks in the cardinal directions, this was a symbol of control that was necessary to be able to control the element for a brief moment of time.

Concentrating his magic in the symbol that was written with his blood in the palm of his hand, the ritual began.

The magic met in the symbol and it shine in red so intensely that it illuminated completely the room and made the runes in the door shine. In that moment a roar was heard and the mannor trembled for a few seconds; from the runes, earth raised, it looked like mud for its flexibility, then it started giving form to a new door.

Harry closed his eyes and concentrated in an image; the earth harden up to rock of dark green color with blue reflections, in the center it had the mark of the family. The crown was of silver and the jewels that appeare were emeralds of big sizes. From the door a serpent of black rocks moved, interlacing its body to the crown, its eyes were green. In the serpent, letters appeared in grey in it's sides forming the words in parseltongue 'glory only for those that know the real meaning of power'

The red light disappeared leaving after it, the new door that would be the new guardian of the small study where Harry was.

Indra could only be impressed by the perfomance that her new master had done. Harry was impressed too, he had not thought that the door would be like that, it was better than what he had imagined and having done this kind of magic, had not exhausted him.

With the door closed and with the same structure, as for which only it would be opened for the family head, Harry put his attention to the picture where the waterfall was with the mermaid.

Walking towards the painting and stopping with just a few inches of it, Harry contemplated it. The waterfall was huge taking almost all the picture, the siren was under it, staying in what could be seen of the lake where the water of the waterfall was descending. Rocks were seen in the shores of the waterfall with some plants decorating it.

The siren with yellow tail was the only living creature of the painting and certainly the guardian of the waterfall. In spite of not having the face of friends, Harrry was glad that she was not speaking, at least in the surface.

Remembering that in his fourth year, he had seen his mentor Dumbledore spoke with the mermaids in the surface of the lake, sounding equally horrible with screams and shrieks so sharp that were giving him a headache of only thinking it.

Breathing hard, Harry conjure a water bubble that was surrounding his head and with the memory that he now had, did sounds that were listened as normal language inside the bubble and that were sounding like shrieks as soon as they were going out of it, the siren stop swimming for a few moments and looked his way. When the mermaid smiled Harry knew that he had achieved his aim.

The siren swam towards the waterfall and once under it, she swam against the stream, rising for it, when she came above it; she disappeared for a few instants and when she returned, sounds started from the rocks. The water of the waterfall stop flowing and a cave was seen in all perfection.

Harry disappeared and inside the painting he appeared in the suitable size getting in the cave. Once inside, the waterfall returned to work and the entry remained hidden behind the waterfall once again.

Harry walk for awhile, coming to a suitable place. The cave had no adornments or style in it's structure, but when he got to the bottom of the cave. He found a huge room.

In this place, the most important possessions of the family were kept. Many of them were a secret for the rest of the family. There were jewels, paintings, magical plants, books of different kinds of magic, that Harry was not sure of knowing; some were of old rituals and some were journals. In some places of the cave were armors made of dragon skin. In one of the corners were some objects clearly vikings. Weapons of all kinds were dispersed in the cave. Hadrian noticed that the cave had a chronological order which make sense seeing everything in it. After exploring for awhile, Hadrian found rare and strange objects everywhere and got pretty attached to a pocket mirror that was certainly going to be taking with him. The mirror was made from a black metal that shine even in the dark, it was elegant with incrusted stones of differents colors and had to be opened by sliding the superior part of it like some of the new cellphones for muggles in his time.

Harry went to the center of the cave, in which was a pedestal with a small box above it, he opened the box and saw inside three rings, which belong to the main family, one for the head, one for his companion and the last one for the heir.

Taking the one that belonged to him, he examined it closely, seeing that it was made of gold with a silver serpent which was going for the whole extension of the ring with the mark of the family on the other side.

Harry put on the ring and felt it shrinking to adjust to his measure and at the same instant he could feel how it was suppressing his power, hiding it. Once he realized it, Hadrian extracted of his pocket the trunk of seven padlocks. Extracting of it the most indispensable thing as his clothes, money and some other objects, he put them in an other bag and kept them in his pocket, after making them small. Harry closed the trunk and left it in the cave.

Out of the cave, the waterfall opened and once out of it, he disappeared off the painting. He was again in the study of the Isegard Manor. It seem that he was coming at the right time, the wards had warned him that his guests of honor, the rest of the family, had come.

Harry called Dobby and with a quiet sound the elf was to his side.

Apparently Dobby had been arranging some things of the house that were not taken care so well in the time that Harry was in the trance, he knew that Hadrian would called for him when he was needed.

"We have guests Dobby" a slightly thoughtful Harry said

"Dobby attends them, Dobby will give them the welcome and .. " his words were cut when Harry made him mute magically "Dobby. I want you to do something very important for me" when Hadrian saw that he had Dobby's attention continue "I want you to go to England to watch over Merope Gaunt" taking from one of his pockets a potion of a dark blue and giving it to Dobby "Here, you have to make sure that she takes it, and only her" Dobby nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with tears of happiness. Hadrian smile to the elf and with a movement of his hand Dobby could speak again and with sobs said "Master count in Dobby, on taking care of the young Gaunt, Dobby would do him proud" Hadrian could see the determination in Dobby's eyes "Go" was the only word that Hadrian said to his long friend for the last time for the next few years. Dobby disappeared with all the intention to fullfil his duty.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The massive doors of the Isegard Manor were opened when they were identified by the wards as family members.

A woman with a blue dress and an older man in a suit were at the entry, travelling in a slight step, somehow nervous by the meeting that would follow. They had been thinking of what kind of person was that had managed the privilege of being the new head of the family.

They left their suitcases in the ground and as it was customs of the house-elfs the suitcases disappeared.

They went to the study where surely they would find the new Isegard. When they came to the indicated place, they could not avoid the expressions of surprise that passed on their faces after seeing the magnificent door. They recovered a neutral expression rightly when the door was opened and of it came out a tall young man of dark hair as the ebony and tanned skin by the sun, he was wearing very thin clothes, black trousers with a white shirt, a jacket and green robs which was highlighting his eyes that were shining in an enigmatic and mischief way.

Tania noticed at once that the man who was in front of her, was the person they were looking for and also that he had a great body. She could see his chest, he was not bulky but had a lot of muscles in the right places, she could not see his arms but she would bet, it would match the rest of his body. Since, he did not have buttoned the top part of his clothes, they could see the mark of the family prideful showing with the famous guardian around it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Harry could see the brands of the Isegards. The girl that apparently was a few years younger than him had her brand in the right part of her neck. She was dressed in a blue garment, her hair was gathered in a very elegant bun that was exposing her neck, her eyes an ice-blue and her smile had not disappeared since Harry had seen her.

The other member was a man who seemed in his fifties, but being magical, Harry believed, the man could be in his eighties or more. The gentleman was dressing a suit that reminded him of his potions teacher Slughorn.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Hadrian James Isegard and from this moment, I am the new head of the family" Harry said waiting patiently in order for his relatives to present themselves and he didn't have to want long. The young woman doing a reverence with her skirt and a lightly inclination of her head answered "my name is Tania Jenevit Isegard and he" doing a gesture with the hand in direction of the man "is my uncle Ivan Sastre Isegard" doing a slight pause where his uncle did a sligth nod of head "we are the only surviving members of the family with your exception, we didn't know there was another Isegard out there" explain Tania.

Hadrian knew she was trying to gather information from him "well, it surprise me as much as you" said with the same smile as her "but then again strange things tend to happen it this world"

Seeing that her question was evaded, Tania whisper "It doesn't matter, with you here; we can only raise"

"That's what I intent to do, you don't need to worry about it anymore" claim Hadrian with such determination in his voice that made Tania believed every word.

Hadrian look at their eyes and saw hope in them, he could only imagine what they had gone through to make them like that. And most important where was the third member which Indra talked about. Its seems where ever she or he was didn't have any kind of relationship with the other two. He couldn't stop wondering of what may be going on. What was behind the missing member?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ivan did not know what to think at first. The person in front of him was a young man, a few years older than Tania. He could only hope that he was not as immature as her but then again, he had to be special since he passed the Isegard test. He really hope that, because sometimes her niece would do certain things that made him wonder how could she survived the test.

But then, Tania asked what was in his mind since the moment of their brand making them known of the chosen head, where he did came from? But the young man named Hadrian not only evaded the question but turn the topic to something completely different. His answer to Tania's declaration was that made him take a depth breath and seeing the eyes with such determination made him believe, that there maybe hope for them and the future of there family. It has been a long time since he had this feeling of safety.

"Would you mind if we have breakfast now? I hadn't had a decent one for some days" said Hadrian taking in consideration the time he was in a trance condition because of the test.

The others nodded their heads and followed him to the dining room where a banquet was waiting for them. It seemed that the house-elfs had been busy since they had woken up.

Sitting down in the head of the rectangular table and the other two in both sides of him, the breakfast began with small talk.

Ivan realized that Hadrian already had the ring that was corresponding to him. It was moment to make the family Isegard return to its former glory and certainly they had to make sure that Hadrian had an heir to assure the family, they could not stand again for the same misfortune of not having a direct heir.

The breakfast passed without any problem and having ended they were directed to the study that was for normal use, not the one that was only for the head of the family.

The room was richly decorated with large windows with a beautiful view of the gardens facing the door with a magnificent desk just in the middle of the room, booksellers were in the others walls, fulled by all kinds of books.

Hadrian sat down in the high chair that was behind the desk. He invited them to sit down in the armchairs that were opposite of the desk and it was in that moment when things would get serious.

Hadrian liked to act in front of others; something that he had learned during his isolated time and from observing the purebloods behavior during school; a good example was Theodore Nott, Susan Bones and Blaise Zabini who if he remembered well was also italian.

He was quite proficient in it too. And now he was using it to manipulate the conversation and at the same time judge their character by their behavior and way of talking.

Breaking the silence Hadrian asked the question that worried him the most, caused by their expressions "Tell me what happened during these twenty years in which there was no head of the family? I want to know if the family lost reputation or money" _or something else_ was Hadrian's thoughts. His eyes lost their warmth becoming a darker color expressing his seriousness. The demanded way in which he said it, assured them, that he had something planned; even if the answer was a good one.

"It has been a little time ago, since I found out that I was part of this family and though I would not tell you about where I came from or who were my parents, you can be sure that I am a pureblood. You can do the potion to prove it, if you wish" Hadrian was saying with a calmed, almost boring tone; but the Isegard realized the veracity of what he was saying for the tone. Beside they knew perfectly that they would never obtain the blood to test the potion, Hadrian never said anything about letting them have his blood, a wise choice. It didn't matter, the test he passed was only allowed to be taken by those with Isegard blood _that _were purebloods. He was just making them understood their place and proving that he was in fact, in control.

"Do not worry, I will do everything in my power to make sure that our family raise to the top, making it one of the most powerful families of Italy would only be the beginning" Hadrian look at them and with his mischief eyes made them smile.

Tania could not avoid the smile, this time a real one. The Isegard name would not be one forgotten. The test of the Isegard had really chosen a king. The magic caressing her was warmth and confortable. It was his way of telling her, he was there to protect her.

"As you may know, there were no heirs when the head of the family, Byre, died. It was precisely this which made our family started to lose reputation from others" Iván started saying "It was our priority to find a new leader for the family. It's decided then. The elders would do the test until we had a new head, but it didn't work out as it was supposed to do, not only didn't we get the head of the family but…" Ivan stopped talking, his face turned pale and his eyes lost the intense gaze they had before. He was staring without really looking, he was lost in his thoughts.

Tania stared to a chess piece that was on the desk. It was hard for her to remember that time of tragedy. Even then she continue with the story "all the elders died with the exception of uncle Ivan, who barely survived and had to be admitted to the hospital for six months, it was really hard for the family. We couldn't believed it. There were twelve deaths, in a less than three months and with them the rumors started. It was inevitable, we knew that. But we never expected for things to go that bad. The others were afraid for sharing the same fate"

There was a moment of silence in the room "Fear make people do stupid things. All of us were afraid but we fear more for our family" whispered Tania; seconds later having recovered somehow with a strong and louder voice, she raise her face and looking at his eyes said "_The Isegard name would not be forgotten_, that was all we had in our minds and we believed in that. We carry on with the tests. We wouldn't allowed ourselves to have a Head of family in only name like others families. We were proud of our traditions and that was something they couldn't take from us"

Ivan snapped out of his memories. The words said by Tania brought a sad smile to his face. He recalled a memory he got from one of his many nephews. At that time Tania was thirteen years old. The funeral for the elders had just finished and the members of the family were in a mournful mood. Nobody could look into the eyes of another.

Indra, the guardian snake was in the biggest portrait in the hall; as the one tasked to provide the test, she was expected to be there. It was temporal, until all the ones who wanted to take the test were tested.

As always Tania lost her temper and started shouting that they were all cowards. "I'm not afraid to die, if I'm not worthy then so be it. My pride and honor for my family come first to me" she walked to where Indra was and looking at her she give a nod. The eyes of Indra glowed for a moment and then Tania fall down.

"We just didn't seem to be good enough. The entire family did the test as far as we know. We are the ones that managed to survive" finished saying Tania.

Hadrian was speechless. He had lost his family and friends in his time. He had grief for them and for the future that was never meant to be. But he couldn't imagine what was it like losing everything; not only the entire family died but they had lost their pride at the same time. Their hopes…he now understood why they looked at him like that.

"You said something about rumors, what was that about?" asked Harry when he had analized everything that had been told to him

"You don't have to worry about that anymore. We made them remember that even without our reputation, they must not play games with us" exclaim Ivan "They learned their lesson when Patricia Narde disappeared in one of our last gatherings in Italy. They can't proved anythig anyway"

"She deserved it. The rumors were annoying lies, but tolerated ones. She crossed the line. I only wanted her to stop, it was not my fault she chew more than she could swallow" said Tania in a bored tone.

Hadrian raised an eyebrow. He didn't believed her at all, his curiosity won at the end "What did she said that made you react like that?"

Imitating the most high pitched tone he had heard since Pansy Parkinson she quote "Look at the Isegards, poor things. It seems non of them are worthy. See, not only did they not have someone representing the family but they had create their own way to die. The healers said it has something to do with their brains, maybe there is some kind of disease only for them. It could be contagious for all we know. But then again they were never that great. This just proves it. They were weak and in this world they didn't have a place. They deserved to die"

"I know that the test is a family secret. It was expected that people would not understood us at all. Although I believe some of the more intelligents had figured out some part of it. The many deaths we had were not exactly discreet. But the insult done by her was unforgivable"

Hadrian did not know what to say to that. He was sure, he would have kill Narde, if not for the fact that she was already death. Unforgivable indeed.

It seems that things were worse than he had first believed for Tania and Ivan at that moment. The Isegard had suffered a great shame and not having a leader for the family had left them without being able to recover their honor and name with their own hands. That could be the motive for them to leave to Spain.

This was something that Hadrian was not going to forget, not when what he value the most was family; being someone who always yearned to have something to what really he could belong. It was like receiving a nasty curse, to tell him that those who he had to protect and to love had been insulted in such a way, was inexcusable.

"Anyway, if what you said it's true, then you need to know which families are in the Italian Council"

_Italian council?... Ah right! Italy doesn't have a Ministry. The council it's the one who rules this country_. Hadrian though _The council was banished at the end of the war with Grindelwald; it was one of the conditions for Italy to not have a block for other countries._

"You're right. Do tell who are this remarkable members?" said Hadrian with a note of curiosity.

"Dante de Locro, alpha of the werewolfs, he is very good at trade with the north of Egypt and has a large land and two forests. Milo Laudadio very renamed by his researches and trips. Also there is Ragnor Valanor of the mermaids that are owners of almost the whole hotel zone of Italy, all the west coasts belong to him.

Vlad de Bova the elder of the coven of vampires in Italy; which have the best relations with the muggles. With the world war, they used all the adventages they could get and gave themselves the luxury of creating endless hospitals and blood banks. Besides they have the best reputation as fighters in hand to hand combant and magical duels. Candour Fini, slightly young like you but his mastery in creation of spells and his efficiency in it, gives him a great point to his favor. Many do not dare to go against him so easily. It is said that he has many spells that nobody knows about; if it is true or not noboby knows, it could be his way of protecting himself and his family.

Miguel Narde and Mauricio Calve, have and alliance in business of jewels and fabrics, they are the two who you have to be careful around" explain Ivan "They take adventage of families with Money problems"

"What are you planning young king?" asked Tania

"Soon you will know it. I have to do some arrangements and everything will go like I wish. Thank you for the information" Hadrian answered while in his mind a plan was formed, the names that were given to him, were not so unknown to him. Two of them had died out, and the ones that continued in his time were not that powerful or rich. He could ruin those who were a hindrance for him. Who would had say that to listen to the articles of world history that Hermione was repeating all the time for the exams would help him. Even then it was clear he would have to consult some information with certain books of History that he had prepared for this trip.

The rest of the day, the Isegard spent it exchanging information about what happened in the last years that had more relevancy. Hadrian has to have as much information as possible to give whatever he was planning a better chance of being being successful.

When the night came Tania and Ivan went to sleep in the rooms that the house-elfs had prepared for them

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-..-.-..-.-.-..-.-.-.-.

After having seen him and talked to him, Ivan realized that the young man had had the adequate education with all the traditions. For the way he moved, he clearly was a trained fighter and by the way he managed with others made him notice the masks that Hadrian like to wear, but it had been hard to notice that, even with all his years in assiting gatherings and seeing people disguised themselves with fake smiles. The slight touch of his power that he had the pleasure of feeling made him felt safe. Ivan was sure that the man knew what he was doing and prepared for anything.

He could not wait to see how Hadrian would manage himself in the high society of Italy where the personality and social skill were everything.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hadrian returned to the study that had the door which he had created hours ago. A house-elf approached before he could enter. The elf had better looking clothes than those which Dobby had wore the first time they had met, but they were not very refined either; it looked like a black short overol with adornments in silvering, which were not obvious very much because the clothes were dirty.

"Good nights, master" said the elf with a voice similar to that of Dobby, but apparently this elf could contain better his enthusiasm "I is Estel, me being the manager of the house-elfs of the Manor. Estel to come and appear after having arranged everything and leaving the mansion as if there had not passed a day of the death of the last owner. If Estel is needed, you just to have to call and I appear" apparently it was too much to expect proper speaking from Estelo but he had to admit that he sound better than other elfs that it he had known.

"Estel, you have done a good work" to this the elf blush and his eyes shine with happiness "I will call you if I need something" said Hadrian and on having listened to a small reproach in a familiar sound from Indra hurried to say "it seems that I will need from now on, something appropriatly for Indra to eat and please take it to my bedroom at night" the elf with a great smile answered with waved certainly and disappeared again.

Hadrian went inside the study that was already opening for him. Extracting the books that he had in his pocket, which he took from his trunk, that were of history. He sat down in the table and started reading, putting together all the information that he had obtained from his relatives.

Apparently Narde and Calve, both names of which Ivan had warned him, had managed to banish the magic creatures off the council, which led to a lot of problems and several fights for territories and power. A deep hatred borned between wizards and magical creatures even though wizards are too magical creatures.

Italy supported Grindelwald in his ideals but was not strong enough to figth, it was to divided by then and were neutral in the last years of the war which was the cause for Italy to be an exception of blockades and other financial problems that surely would lead to the ruin of the country. But it was at that time that others countries make sure to dissolve the Italian Council.

If he could avoid all that, things would change to his favor in many aspects. The plan now was simple he had to destroy his enemies with financial bankrupt, with that done everything would be easy to control. He would assure to obtain what he wanted.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hadrian went out of the study and in that instant he felt it. Indra could also feel it, if her constant hissing was some indication. Indra with her great skill in telepathy, gave him the answer that he was searching.

There was someone else in the hall with him, his aura was strong and the person hidden in the shadows could only be the Isegard that was absent. Strange, he hadn't felt the wards acknowledge him. When had he entered?

Hadrian had been puzzled by him. All day he had been trying to think about why he wouldn't have any contact with the others. Now he had his answers and already knew exactly that to do with him.

His enemies would start to fear the Isegard name, his plan was fitting perfectly now; he had all the necessary things in order for him to make the best for the future of his family.

Of the shadows a man dressed in black appeared, with chestnut-colored hair with some reddish reflexes and eyes similar to those of Hadrian, only that his had no emotion in them. The man smiled showing his white teeth. His mark was in his forehead, just where Hadrian had had his so famous scar, in the shape of lightning.

"Regards" the man said "my name is Guilbert Ozbalt Isegard" The man go down on one's kneel and continue "from this moment I swear loyalty only to you"

Hadrian only could smile.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Miguel Narde was a man that only care for one thing alone, money. The good reputation was a bonus. He knew that the money could offer to him everything he ever wanted or needed, that was precisely why start his obsession for it and was the motive which made him go mad when his assistant told him that his business was in problems which had started for a few years.

"Who was the manager that had to make sure this were never to happen?" ask Narde when he had calmed enough to be coherent with his thoughts

"Mark" was the only thing that the dressed man could say, he was the unfortunate in having to give the bad news but it was inevitable.

"Eliminate him" it was the response "be very discreet, an accident if it is possible, I do not want to have my daughter reproaches me for this"

"As you wish" with an inclination of the head the assistant disappeared after a gesture of Miguel Narde's hand.

Once in the silence of the room Miguel Narde sat down in his favorite chair made in the India; if the numbers were correct and his business was starting to decline. It was a signal, the time to begin with the plan with regard to the council was about to begin. It was a time to demonstrate that the wizards were much better than any other magic creature.


	3. 3 El Concilio

The stench of sweat clawed through the air.

The crowd roared in glee.

In the dueling arena, one of the best fights for the past years have the entire crowd captivated. A show of lights and the sound of weapons clashing were the main event of the night.

The wards around the dueling arena were shaking for the magic it tried to contain. People gathered and tried to get as close as the wards allowed them. A huge wall of smoke emerged when the last spells casted met in the middle.

There was a scream and then silence.

When the smoke was removed only one figure could be seen standing. His clothes were ruined. His hair was cover in mud and blood. His arm was bleeding and he could barely support himself. Blood cover his forehead and the front part of his body.

"I can't believe it, he defeated all of them" whisper a man while he was trying to not fell down with all the people pushing from behind.

In the top part of the place two men were sitting together, they were wearing masks as the other people around there.

"Told you, he is the wizard we need," said the man in the right

"I should have trust your word my friend, with him in our side we can manage to get the others to agree. Wizards should be above the other races. We are by far the most powerful. He proves it" answer the man sitting by his side.

"Of course, he does. He had defeated seven vampires of the guard of Vlad himself. Those were some of the best, the vampires can offer and you know it is them you fear in a duel, specially if there are weapons involved" exclaim the man "The difficult part is get him, he usually disappear at the end of the duel; but it seem that seven were to much for him in one night. When the ward gets removed, is the perfect time for us to get him"

'Sangue Roulette' was the name of the club. This was a place were the fights to control the underground were taken, since the Establishment of the Country. Here the Lord who keeps the illegal dealings out of sight was chosen. He who was the strongest was the one in power.

The runes for the ward were deactivated and a healer went immediately to the bleeding man side and start doing his best to heal him as soon as possible.

"You will be the death of me," muttered the healer "By the way, great performance Oz"

"Not good enough if I'm this wounded," said Oz

"Only you would say something like that, there were seven vampires" replied sarcastically the healer "and you only have your left arm almost removed, of course it was nothing"

When the healer was done, Oz took out his wand and a few spells later he was clean and wearing different clothes and just when he almost reached the apparition place two men approached him.

_Here they come_ though Oz

"We had a proposition, which I'm sure you would be interested to hear," said the man

"What could that be gentleman?" asked Oz

When Italy was established as a country. A chamber was built. White stones walls protected the chamber, the ceiling was made by crystal that allowed the sunlight and the moonlight to pass and touch a small black stone, decorated by old runes, which was placed in the middle. Around the black stone, a stone ring resembles a table stood guard. The black stone only seen by few and rumored to exist by all the rest was the core of Italy. The link between the magic of the land, and the magical people who lived there.

It was in this chamber the Italian Council meet and decided what was the best for the country. Whatever they decided was reinforced by the magic of the stone, and thus the laws were easier to enforce to the others.

The council was in a meeting; seven high chairs decorated in differents ways were placed around the stone ring that guards the black stone. The chamber was humming with magic, this day the meeting had started as custom with the arrival of seven men dressed in their best robes, all of them were expressionless, they took their place in the ring and sat. The discussion started and just when all believed the meeting was over, the man wearing the blue robe start what would led to the extermination of the council if it proves to be as weak as many had fear to believe.

"There some events that had occurred recently and which I fear are of great concern," said the man, his white skin highlighted his blue eyes that show how serious he was about the topic. His hairless head was his principal feature that identifies him as Mauricio Calve "there has been werewolves attacks in small villages in the outskirts of the country, the ones that attack are those who had no accept the will of their wolfs"

"What about the people of the villages?" asked Milo Laudadio

"There were few survivors, must of the villagers were muggles, we make sure to erase all the evidence but that those not tell us anything.

His eyes rested on the man wearing red robes and strange black hat "If your race doesn't have control of themselves, which means all you are a danger for others. Three magical families died in this attacks, people will want answers that we don't have, how can you explain this Dante?" Mauricio was not taking any chances, he had to start with the doubts, the fear will follow and then he could get them out of the council.

"You said that the attack was from werewolves that didn't accept the will, the same kind of werewolves that is not one yet and had no control in the night of the full moon" replied Dante "Nobody of my clan has ever been in this situation"

"But you control those of your race in this country, there is no other explanation than someone of your clan start it. Normal werewolves are in control in their beast form besides they can transform when they want if they are powerful enough, if one of them bites someone, that does not change the other to a werewolf. Yours, have to will the change to the other person, for it to happen"

"You cannot be sure of what you claim, I will find out what really happened," said Dante

"Easy for you to say that, you were not the one to go there and see all the destruction, but there is more" ranted Mauricio

"The disappearance of children in the west coast. Let me tell you, Frida Summers came to me with the disappearance of her daughter last month, further research told us this have been happening for the past year, we did not notice because all the others were muggles" said Miguel Narde, "I try many things to determinate what happened and all the interviews of those affected were the same in one thing. The sea act weird the day of a disappearance and in the night there was some kind of music, but only children could heard it"

"How can you sure of that, if only children could heard it?" asked Vandor Fini

"There are still more children in this towns that confirm it, the memories are prove of it, we can't heard it but we made others children, magical ones go in the pensieve and tell us what they hear, Marissa told me it was like a lullaby, that finished with a come to me" Miguel was getting angry and yelled "we had to take the girl and the others out of the pensieve, healers said it was some kind of Hypnosis"

"You can't be implying that it was us, mermaids" exclaim Ragnor

"I have not say that, but it makes me wonder, the true loyalties of your race and with what Mauricio has tell us now, I do wonder about the rest of you, even the vampires, for far too long has all of you do whatever you had wanted" his voice was cold and his brown eyes gave away what he really though of the others magical beings

"I call for a vote of no confidence and to remove the three of you of this council, if your selfishness allows more to die there is not other option for us"

"You know, what you really are asking for? We will not go just because you say it" replied Vlad "there will be grave consequences for this and I'm sure, there won't be a bloodless end for this kind of decision"

"Are you threatening us?" said Milo Laudadio

"No, I'm only saying there will be consequences" explained Vlad

"This should not be decided this way, we have to analyze every evidence and then we should vote" said Vandor Fini "this will be decided in three months, all of you should be prepare for everything that may happen" with that said Vandor got up his high chair, turned around and leaved the chamber.

The other members followed Vandor but all of them have differents thoughts of the matter.

In an office room, Miguel Narde sat in his favorite chair; in the other side of the desk Mauricio Calve was sitting in another chair, sipping his tea.

"It seems that Vlad got Milo to our side but is Vandor, the one we had to worry about, even with all we had said he didn't turned to us, he is going to investigate and he could very well found out the true with the help of his inventions and spells" said Miguel "so what do we do about it?"

"Oh, don't pressure yourself for this, I understand that Fini loves his little sister more than anything, maybe even in a more deep kind of love than just siblings" answer Calve " I wonder…"

"Blackmail, you want a blackmail, her live for the vote perhaps?" said Narde

"What happened in the Council Chamber has take us by surprise" said Vlad "you have to be honest, were you responsible for this atrocious events?"

"No, my clan is not responsible for this nor are the mermaids, they are trying to take us out, but we do not know why?" replied Dante

"Maybe we could make a truce with them," whispered Ragnor

"No, that make us seem like the bad ones, we need more information, the most important; is what they want with this, what they win with all of this, we know Calve and Narde have never like us because of our differences but it has been many years since they got in the council and this was soo sudden. They are planning something and we need to find out what," The seriousness of his voice and eyes told Ragnor and Dante, they have to be careful if they wanted to get out of this one without a bloodbath.

Tania was sure she was in the middle of nowhere. She had followed the directions that Hadrian gave her and the only thing she found was a deserted mountain, okay maybe more rocks than anything else but even then she was sure this was not the place. How could this mountain of rocks be any valuable for them? But then again Hadrian had to have something planned because she really would kill him if he just sent her in just for fun, and knowing him even for a few months she was sure he could certainly do it.

Her dress was getting dirty and the hot weather was not helping her. The man she had bring with herself told her that the property was valuable to around 3 billions galleons and seven Knuts.

"What? That's to high sir," replied Tania taking her part as a businesswoman

"Well, you have to consider that you want the entire mountain and all fifteen km around it," said the man

"I'm not sure to really want this place, I mean there is not a single plant around here, is almost desert and of course no animals around either. The weather is not comfortable in the slightest and from what I heard this place have some kind of natural ward that doesn't allow magic to function properly. What kind of things do you expect me to pay for apart from the land?" asked Tania with an air of superiority that intimidated the man; she was not going to pay that high for this pile of… well this place.

"Well I'm sure there has to be something that made you look for this particular kind of place," replied the man

"What I do is my business" exclaim Tania "one had to wonder if you really have what I'm looking for, but then again I may have overestimate your place of work. There was nobody who actually recommend me there"

"Please reconsider your decision. This place values what I ask for it" mutter the man with sweat felling from his forehead, he could not believe a girl, no a really young woman could make him feel this hopeless.

"Maybe I should do business elsewhere, a pity really" Tania turn around and walked, she had to get out of the natural ward to appear, but she was waiting, she knew she had already won.

"Wait! Maybe we could make and agreement, a discount" yelled the man

"Of how much we are talking?" asked Tania; in her mind she couldn't stop the smile like the cat of Alice in wonderland.

In the middle of the street of Florida stands an imposing snow-white marble building: Gringotts Wizarding Bank

Hadrian was sure that the buildings in the branch of Gringotts have all the same structure, they were identical, the same bronze doors flanked by goblins in a uniform of scarlet and gold, which leads into a small entrance hall and another set of doors. Even the engraved words on these silver doors were exactly the same.

The message was clear, don't think about robbing the bank or you will pay dearly. Well it certainly would have a better effect if Hadrian had not robbed it already.

A pair of goblins bowed to him when he entered as custom to House Lords. In the main hall, about a hundred goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining jewels through eyeglasses. There were many doors leading off the hall, and more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hadrian look around for a moment and then made his way for one of the empty counters.

"Greetings, master goblin" said Hadrian with a slight nod.

"A Lord of an old house, what can I do for you?" asked the goblin with an expressionless face, his glasses reflecting the light of the room, magical glasses which gave the goblin all he needed to know of the person in front of him.

"I request a meeting for some business," whispered Hadrian

The goblins, entrusted to all the gold and important items by the magical world, were creatures that treat everybody the same way, no matter race or influence. They did the best work when it came to business, which made them not a social kind of race. For them, the gold was the only thing with value.

But there was a time when goblins were civil with another being and it was when they were doing business.

Hadrian had arrived to Gringotts three hours ago but he was not nearer to finish his business than when he had arrived. He was in what appear to be a VIP room; he had been waiting for nearly two hours. It had taken him one hour to explain the contract of the business he wished to do with the goblins but it seem that they needed more time to think about it. Just as Hadrian was starting to get out of the room to find someone to tell him that he would wait the owl when they had decided, a goblin entered the room, give him a scroll with Gringotts seal am told him "read and sign"

In a beautiful room decorated with blue walls and aquariums, full of wonderful and different kind of fishes. The ceiling was white with a resplendent chandelier hanging in the center. Three men were sitting in a round table under the chandelier.

One of them have long red hair and brown eyes, dressed in a black suit and wearing a tired expression, he was not amused by the games of naïve and young people. His pale, almost white skin and his sharp-pointed ears betrayed his ancestry of years as vampire; Vlad de Bova was not someone you wanted to meet, if you were on his bad side. The man in dark green robes and strange black hat was Dante de Locre; one of the few silver werewolf as it showed with his long silver hair, he had as all werewolves amber eyes. The last one was blond, his skin was a little blue and has black eyes, he was wearing comfortable blue pants and a red robes; Ragnor Valanor was one of the few mermaids that could actually take a human form and stay out of the water for some days. He was the one whom broke the uncomfortable silence of the room "You were right"

"About what?" replied Vlad

"There truly was a reason for all of this, _one_ that is not going to help us at all" answered Ragnor

"What do you mean?" ranted Dante

"They want us out of the country to take all we have, money, properties, influence" Ragnor was not going to stand for it to happen "there is no way for a negation and been honest I don't want one with them. If they try anything I will start a war"

"If they succeded in the council, the protection the stone gave us in this land would be removed from us and makes us vulnerable to them" Dante said "The one whose going to decide is Vandor Fini, I'm not sure if he is going to help us, the evidence is against us and without the stone it would be easier for them to hunt us down if we stayed"

"It's decided then, if they expel us from the council I'll go to war with you Ragnor" answered Vlad

"Count me in, if the choice is the wrong one for us; there is nothing to gain but everything to lose. I'll fight too" reassured Dante "I'll not allow them to destroy the reputation of my race with their lies"

In a gorgeous garden, the green trees were starting to show white flowers, it was the beginning of the season so it was expected. A lake near the garden reflected the light of the sun. It was midday and the hot weather was starting to get to the few people wandering around.

Under a leafy tree a man was sitting leaning on the wood, his eyes were closed and he was enjoying the shadow of the tree and enjoying the gentle breeze that reached him. The hot weather was not a problem for him especially with the aide of a little spell he had created for that proposes alone.

He had been there since the early morning, he had decided that he was going to made his choice that day for something of incredible importance for him and his country, but he has not yet reach his objective. The evidence was clear but inconclusive, there could be fool play and he was awared of that.

"Narde is becoming quite insistent" he murmured to himself "that makes me wonder what really is going on. I had investigated every evidence but there are some things that doesn't make sense but I'm not sure if that means anything at all"

"My willingness to support their cause is going to change everything, this is not so easy" with a heavy sigh he pinched the bridge of his nose; he was tired of thinking of all the possible consequences and was not sure how to proceed.

"Oh! There you are, I have been searching for you all day." said a girly voice.

Vandor Fini opened his blue eyes and saw his little sister, six years younger than him. A beauty with brown hair like his and her expressive blue-white eyes. Also the love of his life. He had waited for her to reach a reasonable age for her to get involved with him in a romantic way, it was not secret his feeling for her and he had made sure she knew of them. She had promised that arriving the appropriated time she would gave him her answer, they were not going to get an arrangement married; he would respect her decision.

"What have you in such state? You did not have breakfast and I was worried you were sick but it doesn't seem so" said the young woman in a calmer tone

"I wonder that myself, in the council many things are happening and you know I trust you more than anyone but I can't tell you this problems, there are mine to concern, it's just difficult" replied in a tired voice Vandor

"Trust in your instincts and try to see what usually is not there and you will find your answer" try to reassured him her sister

"I don't know what I would do without you" sighed Vandor

"That is why I want to tell you that I" she paused for a few moments "no forget it I will tell you later when you have recovered. Come we have to return you home, you need some sleep, everything is going to be fine, you will see" said the young girl of sixteen.

Some ladies came to talk to Marissa Fini and whispered something to her, with some annoyance written in her face for those few that knew her and a indifference expression for the rest, she told her brother "I will see you in the manor I have something to do first"

His brother nodded his head and saw Marissa disappear with the other women.

In one of the most famous restaurants in Italy, Marissa Fini was waiting impatiently, she had asked for a special tea to try and calm herself, the tea was a strong combination that has always relax her in times like this.

"Marissa Fini I presume, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Miguel Narde" said the man kissing the back of his hand as custom demanded and taking the chair across Marissa

"The pleasure is mine, what can I do for you?" asked Marissa with a cold voice

"You see we have a little problem in the council in our last meeting and I was really worried for all the members, so I asked you for your sincerity to tell me if this has caused some kind of trouble with you brother?" the concern was evident in his voice but his eyes didn't tell the same story.

"My brother is fine, I dare say he is not troubled at all, your concern was misplaced" answered Marissa as there was nothing more to say. She finished her tea and stood up, ready to leave when her eyes turned pink for some seconds.

"Please my dear, we are not yet finished. I'm sure your bother has some trouble and I believed with our help he will see the truth" Miguel put his best smile for the benefit of the other people seeing them, a smirk was trying to break from his face.

Marissa took her sit again and could only nodded her head in reassurance of her help, she would do anything for the acceptance of the man with her.

Milo Laudadio was having second thoughts, what if Dante and Ragnor were innocents. No, it couldn't be. He had checked everything and he had reached a conclusion. They were guilty. But to some level he could understand Vlad. If his race was treated he would react very similar, even the same he would dare to say.

Beside he was sure Vlad hadn't said that without the means to do something about it. This could lead to a war, and if they allied he was not so sure of their survival. Moments like this made him question why he had not inhered the sit of the council to his son years ago, but seeing his son of almost thirty living happily in Rumania, he didn't exactly have a choice.

A house-elf appeared at this door "Master, you have visitors"

"I was not expecting someone, who are they?" said Milo to Wika, the chief of the Laudadio house-elfs.

"The council members Mauricio Calve and Miguel Narde, sir." Replied the elf

"Let them pass" He was surprised by the visit but he hoped it could give him some light of the matters that have been bothering him for the last moments.

The two men entered the room. They were dressed in black and a serious expression.

"What I can I do for you?" Milo was tired, at his eighty-five he didn't want to be the center of attention, even less to have such a huge responsibility for his decisions.

"We know of your doubts but this is the best direction, we can't let them do whatever they want" started to say Miguel

"Soo, you're telling me that I should not be worried by the war that we are responsible to start. I don't know anymore, even without the stone protection, you cannot underestimate three members of the council like that. They were not selected to be part of it just because they are rich. They earned their place with blood so many years ago, especially Vlad. He is the oldest member. He surely knows more of Italy and its history than all of us put together" ranted Milo with the little compose he had left.

"No, we know of the dangers that this would entice. But we're not that weak. For years the magical resistance and better physical advantages that they possess as magical creatures has made us fear them. But we forget that we too are powerful beings, more powerful in fact" said Mauricio with a strong voice, not only trying to convince Milo but to reassured himself after the truth which Milo spoke moments before.

"Ha! That's not enough, I won't risk our country like that, we can't allowed them to kill, I know; but how are we going to get out of this one as the winners? Or better yet, alive?" the sarcasm in his tone was evident.

"We want you to see something or better yet someone that will give you the answers you seek. Follow us this night and you will see with your own eyes what we meant" reassured Miguel.

"Very well, we will see what you have, it better suits the situation if not" paused Milo with a rise in his eyebrow "well, you know what will happened, don't you?"

"This will not disappoint you." replied Mauricio.

"I was not sure at first but you were right. This is what we need, what Italy needs" Milo was sure he had lost his marbles at some point, otherwise he wouldn't be agreeing with what they were planning. But he couldn't see any other solution.

"So you're the lost king of the underworld" said Milo "I heard there have not been another like you for centuries. What are you doing here?"

"Whatever you mean, I'm here by the same reason which led you here" was the only replied he got.

"Milo, I want to present you Oz. As you know, he was the last ruler of the underground of Italy for the past two years" Mauricio Calve was proud of his accomplishment in getting Oz to their side.

"Now that presentations are done" said Miguel "we should start with our meeting. We have to plan what should we do about the next war with the magical creatures"

"Wait a second! I know we should prepare for everything as Vandor said but we are not sure if it will take place at all, even with my vote. Fini will be the one to decide at the end. How can you be soo sure of his vote and alliance to us" Milo was not a fool, this was really strange behavior for the other men in the room. _What is going on?_

"But Milo, you inspected and investigate the cases we presented in the council and your conclusions were the same as ours" said Mauricio _specially since you don't have something to make you suspect and see the truth like Fini does. _"I'm sure he will see reason"

"Then you should invite him. Together would be more useful for our cause" answered Milo "Until then, I will not come and waste my time. You have my vote and that is enough, we will see about a war when it's confirmed by Fini"

With that said Milo Laudadio left the place

"Well, it seems, he is not convinced at all but you have his vote. So when will I be able to meet this Fini person, you people talked about" said Oz "Sounds like someone that is giving you trouble"

"Of course not" ranted Mauricio "we are sure he will make the right decision"

Fini's Manor was a splendid view for the newcomers. Huge walls with statues of differents kinds of creatures. High windows with great views of the beautiful gardens, which were famous in all the country.

It was in this amicable state where a tragedy was going to take place.

In the principal office of the manor Vandor Fini could be see standing in front of fireplace. His stare directed to the orange flames. With some movements of his wand and a few words, the flames flew up to his hand turning black. His fingers moved and the flames followed it.

In has taken him close to five years to accomplish this charm. It has been his project for soo long, one could tell it was because of it; he had make spell-creation his way of live.

To have finally managed it, brought a proud feeling to Vandor. It was just sad that he could manage it precisely when he had much important matters to attend. But his sister had been right. He had followed his suspicions of the things that didn't make sense at first and his discoveries were alarming. His decision was made, there will not be expulsion of the magical creatures but there were going to be another vote; Narde and Calve were going to get what was coming to them for some years.

There was a loud knock in the door that got Vandor to return from his own thoughts. "Come in"

"Good evening brother. How was your trip?" asked Marissa with almost a whisper

"Interesting and enlighten." replied Vandor "but forget that for a moment. I have missed you; tell me what have you done these past days. You have not been out of the school for more than one month and still have two more for the Easter holidays."

"Well, I had not made that much other than buying some dresses. The new fashion has arrived recently from France and I could not be the only girl left out of the season." Her expression demonstrated how young she really was. There was sometimes where she will show this part of herself. "Mrs. Zabini is competing with Mrs. Razeto for the hosting to the next ball. They are trying their best to be able to present their daughters. It appears that for this season there are many eligible young men with a good fortune."

"It good to know, this society never change" said Vandor

"Yes, well we live long enough to try and experiment with a lot of things, but this aspects will never change. At least not until something of unpredictable nature happens." Teased Marissa

"Yes, well there sure is going to be something happening very soon" Vandor was not sure if he should just for this one trust her sister, they had gone though a lot of things together, specially the deaths of their parents.

"What do you mean?" Her confusion was obvious in her voice

Fighting with himself, he decided he was going to trust her, just for this one time. There were family after all; she would keep it secret, but was not going to disclose the finnier points "There have been happening a lot of things. Remembered that sometime ago, I told you I was worried about something in the council" She nodded her head and he continue to speak "well, there have been a lot more behind it than I first thought. My findings gave me a lot to think about and I decided against the vote that was proposed at the last meeting. Not only that I will make sure there is punishment for the real culprits. Things are going to be pretty bad at first, but is something we need to do. Italy can't have that kind of people deciding the future of it, when they don't have the best interest of the country as their priority."

"You should think carefully about it, the wizards have to be together, we look out for each other. Our race is more special than you think" replied Marissa, she was nervous. She couldn't believe her brother was going to help such horrible creatures. Narde had told her all about the meeting, she could not allow her brother to do such a thing to his own race. The magical creatures have their chance and then kill magical families. But she couldn't tell him that she knew the whereabouts of the council.

"What are you talking about Marissa? I don't get the meaning of what are you saying. It's almost as…no it couldn't be" an anxious Vandor didn't know what was going on with her sister and because of his love for her, blame it all at his exhausted body for all the trying things that happened during his journey to find the truth. "I'm tired, I will go to bed early for today" and with that left the room.

Unknown to him, her sister was making a call to one of the two people he wanted to ruin. Someone he would have never allow close to her sister ever again after all his findings.

A fine cup of wine was destroyed when it impacted to the wall. Miguel Narde was not a happy man at that moment. His worst fears have been made truth. Fini has found the evidence of their whereabouts. The ones that incriminated Calve and him of the atrocious things they have blame to the other members of the council. Years of planning and getting the needed things to be able to accomplish it was ruined by one sole man. They could not allow that to happen. Lucky for them, they have a plan B for this precisely situation. That Fini girl was going to be more useful than he had planned.

He will do whatever it takes to make his dreams come truth. Nobody was going to stop him, specially a boy that had recently been put in the council. Vandor Fini was going to die soon enough and his sister would do whatever he wanted as long as the potion was doing the desired effect.

Amortentia was the most powerful love potion ever invented and only one flask of it was going to secured Italy itself to him and with that all the money and power he wanted.

Tuesday July 24th 1921

This was the date of one of the most important events in the first years of the century. One of the last members of the Italian Council had perished. That day Vandor Fini was found death in his home. The healer had said it was an infection he got in his recent traveling.

Well, lucky for Vandor Fini that was an article of an old newspaper, which was part of the many things Harry had brought with himself. So the article was telling of the future murder of Vandor Fini, which was going to take place in two weeks.

"So they don't suspect a thing about you Guilbert" Hadrian was pleased, his business with Gringotts had gone as planned and Guilbert was doing fine in his 'mission'

"Are you sure they have not some kind of notice of Fini?" asked Hadrian with a raised eyebrow, his was composed as usual and his voice was that of a bored person.

"I'm sure, but I can't assured you anything of the past three hours I have been here" replied Guilbert "Even if they trusted me, they don't plan to give me much. They are counting in my death."

At that moment an alarm went on. A blue crystal shined in the pocket of Guilbert. He took out the little piece of jewelry and saw it for some time. Then he looked at Hadrian and said. "They know of Fini, the plans for his murder are starting as you said would happen at this point. I will never know how you do it"

"I'm a seer, of course I know." replied Hadrian

"We both know that is not true, your eyes are not white. Besides you only know of matters like this. The only explanation is that you read their actions by knowing them with all the information I gave you." ranted Guilbert in a whisper; he was trying to control his temper, which he discovered he had after meeting the Head of the Isegard House.

"I could have use a ritual, a black one that allow me to know" exclaim Hadrian with a knowing smirk.

"There doesn't exist such thing, I will know of that. I'm one of the few that knows of the old ways." replied instantly Guilbert

"Who told you, it was and old ritual?" Hadrian could not contain his laugher for much; his little smirk was turning to a normal smile.

"Are you implying of creating such ritual? You have lost your mind. Have you not knowledge at all of what happens when you do something as irresponsible as that without the proper guidance or help?" Guilbert could not believe it. But then again Hadrian had showed him all the impossible fits he could do with such a natural aura around him. It could be a possibility that what he said was true.

"Well as much as I love to tease you. I need you to go and find out how they are going to eliminate our dear friend Mr. Fini. His fake death will help us." With that said Hadrian saw how Guilbert disappeared off his manor.

Hadrian would wait for two weeks more to see all his plannings falling into place. The bad news was that Tania had not give up in finding him a bride to secure the family with an heir. He could only sighed and whispered, "If wishes were hippogriffs"

In another part of the Europe some events were taking place. Important things that could change a lot in the future, caused by a man that change things with his arrival to this time.

But one family was at the center of these changes. It was fortunate that it was for their benefit.

Today was not a good day for the Gaunts, especially for the head of the small family.

Marvolo didn't known where he went wrong. His son Morfin had an affair with a muggle, a beautiful woman but nonetheless a muggle. He didn't love her, he had barely met her.

Sometime ago, there was some kind of festival in Little Hangleton and Morfin was bored so he disguise himself with muggle clothes and removed the small glamour he wore by choice, so his aristocrat feathers showed and went out to have fun; he didn't expected to drink too much and slept with a woman whom clearly took advantage of him.

Lucky of them, Morfin remembered to erase her mind, but a few months later the woman was expecting a child. Being her, the only heir to a great fortune and the only living person of her family at her thirty five years, she was having her heir. It didn't matter the baby wouldn't be legitimate, it only matter that he or she would be rich.

But for Marvolo it did matter. The next heir of his family would be a half-blood, he couldn't allow that, specially if it was a boy. His family couldn't possible... no! They wouldn't accept it, no matter the consequences. He didn't know what to do in the moment.

When Morfin had approached him and told him. The first thing crossing his mind was how to kill the muggle and then torture his son.

Now he was not sure how to react, he could not blame everything to his son. The boy was barely sixteen years old and like any healthy boy he was controled by his recklessness and his hormones. It was all the woman fault, she was old enough to know what she was doing.

Obviously, she was the one who was attracted to him, while seeing him without his glamour. Maybe even planned the whole thing, making sure that Morfin was drunk enough so she could have her way with him and have her beautiful heir. There were rumors she didn't want to get married but wanted an heir. Marvolo blame her for everything, she had stolen something precious without any knowledge.

And just as if his day couldn't be any better a man from the Ministry came saying that there had been small traces of forbidden magic around the area and since they were the only magical people around there, they were the first to be suspected.

He called his children and got their wands checked and being found innocent, the man apologize and then leave; not before warning them to be careful and watch out for whatever may be the cause. And it was exactly this, which made him notice another problem to think about.

When the man had said forbidden, he just knew Merope was the responsible, it was just thanks to her useless wand that saved them or more like saved her from a visit to Azkaban. How could she manage that kind of spell and being useless with the lesser ones? It was a signal that he needed to put a stronger block on her magic. But of course it was expected of her to be more powerful since she had reached fifteen years of age and that to his family mean that she was getting more of her power; until she turned seventeen, her coming of age, when her natural blocks were lifted.

He knew the emotion she had to have to manage the black magic she was doing but he couldn't imagine where or what made her got them. He swore if it was because of her brother or the women of the village, he would ... Ah! Even thinking about it was useless. Maybe it was time to hang himself and be done with it.


	4. 4 Plans

Sneaking to the manor of one of the members of the Italian Council was not an easy acomplismnent. But that was what made it all the more interesting.

Guilbert got near to the state of the Narde family and stopped a few inches from where he could feel the wards started. Taking a breath, he took out his wand and muttering a few choices spells in parseltongue. A dark blue almost black mist went out of the tip of his wand and surrended his hands. Placing the wand in his pocket, he started to inspect the ward pulling them like thin threads of differents colors and finding the purple one, he let the others returned to their original place. Taking the purple between his hands, he put a lot of pressure and magic in it. He didn't wait long before the threads turned into a runes line of the same purple. Guilbert took a look to the runes and their order and do what he started doing since meeting Hadrian Isegard, he cursed.

It was just his rigid trainment that help Guilbert to evade the traps. Few knew all the things worth of knowing about wards, especially when it came to pass them without them flaring any kind of signal to the master to whom where conected.

Now to find out any clue to what was going to be used as the means to end the life of one Vandor Fini. And of couse try to caught when exactly was taking place the murder, if any of it was already planned. If what Hadrian said was thruth, Fini have three weeks until his death.

Guilbert usually wouldn't have believe Hadrian and his talk about being a seer. True seers were difficult to find and even they couldn't control all their visions to their wills, but his instincts told him that even if Hadrian was no seer, what he told him could and would certainly happend with all the treachery around the corner.

He had promise himself when he had felt his bond to the Isegard family with such feeling of pleasure that he would get the families pride back and then he would join his family in glory and a bright future with Hadrian as the head.

And now to return to his job, where were those blood keys that he needed to enter the study? A whisper from the wards warning him of another presence. Concentrating with all he have left after all those freaky wards –which by the way where now his allies- he made a swing with his wand and a soft murmur later he dissapear into the wall.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

In a dark alley the wind blow with more force than other nights. The street had little light coming out of some windows. This place was not known by many. But it was certainly the right place for some ilegal business. A shadow walked though the alley and entered a place that was not exactly there for everyone.

Kanri was a quiet shop visible only for those of need of it's service. The perfect place for those people looking for rare potions ingredients, and even strangest cores for wands. It was also -only to those with generous tips- the ideal place for potions. A old asiatic man was the owner.

"Do you have the things I asked for the last time I came here" asked a man covered by a cloak.

"yes" replied the old man "wait a moment" with that said he disappeared in the back of the room.

It had been exactly a month since the man had come for the first time to this shop. Before he was assigned to this particular job he didn't knew of the existente of it. For what he had gathered the shop had a powerful ward only known to some Tibet's monks which make only the people with absolut need of it appear before their eyes while walking in the alley. He was grateful at the time to find it because he was desperate at that moment. It was hard to find some safe place to do this kind of business, besides what he needed have to be made with soo many specific instructions that he was sure he would have to hire a potions master and not just any potion master, it would have to be one of the best out there to be able to do it right in the first try. He was sure his lucky star had smile at him when the old man told him the potion he needed was easy to do and seeing him with such confidence made him believe him at once. It was two days later that he found out the old man was once the best in his field doing potions but had disappeared when a lot of people started to bother him to no-end to work for them.

Last week he has brought the needed ingredient that the old man didn't have access to, for the potion to be made according to the plans. He was not sure how his employer has managed to get the blood for the potion but he wasn't someone who ask too many questions and that was why he got more jobs than others around the alley.

The old man returned to the front of the room bringing with him a little bag.

"excellent" he paid for his things, took the bag offered to him and went to the door.

In a dark corner in a muggle park, a man sitting on the bench waited patiently. It was almost the right time for his meeting with his employer. Another man appeared apparently out of nowhere and sat beside the other one. The first man gave to the other a small bag.

The second man opened the bag to see two potions. The usual pink potion, the last he would need and the other was a dark blue, perfect for what he would do next. A quick flash of green light and the first man was dead, his body turned to that of an old dog. Nobody will suspect anything and when the spell wore off the body would already be buried by the muggles and with that in mind the man dissapear.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The galleons didn't seem to have an end. The mountain of precious jewels, heirlooms and money was rising no matter how many have already left the table. There was always someone pleased to step forward to the game. Floating just a little above the table were the dragon cards in front of the players.

It was time for the end of the game. The cards turned and showed the pictures printed on them. The silence that have stay until then was broken by loud gasps and some creative and very careful chosen words. The mountain resting on the center of the table dissapear and its place a little red bag with golden cords appear. The red bag flew to its new owner, who extended his hand to catch it just before it drop. The man stands up and gives a nod to his partners in the table. The smirk he gave to the others irritated some of them. He turned and left.

It was late already and he didn't want to miss the party. It was going to be special either way, it was Tuesday 13 and that in it meant a lot. Friday and Tuesday 13 were magical to say the least, in those days the Constellations were at their fullest power just as all magical creatures have a rush of magic in their bodies, their connection with magic was at their pecks and any kind of ritual would work without trouble. Yes, it was the perfect day for the re-introduction of an interesting family to the society and he was privilege to be invited even though many would think the contrary.

He was an important person in many ways and of course he was to this day someone whom people fought to be in his good grace since many that were not, were quickly and quietly to die. No sane person would try to go against him, at least not if that someone couldn't match him in resources or more importantly power. He was Rodrigo Toledo after all, a man that you should be wary of.

The Isegard Manor was beautifully decorated. The ballroom was full of people. Some of them dancing, others eating at the tables, but the more important guest were clearly enjoying themselves in interesting conversations. He could tell it has been an eventful night. Many accepted with good grace the newest Isegard not just because his good-looking and puzzle personality, but his presence alone claim the attention of everyone in the ball, specially the women. He was just lucky to be there not exactly to claim the attention of everyone as the new head of the Isegard did, but he certainly wanted the attention of one Isegard in particular.

Standing near the window he saw the person he was looking for. He took his time to notice all the little things that made her beautiful. She was dressed in a lavender dress that showed all the right curves. Her hair was in a complicated bun with some bangs hanging in her neck. The sapphire in her necklace makes her almost ice-blue eyes shine. Gorgeous was the only word he could think about while seeing her.

The first time Rodrigo saw her, was in the presentation to society of a recently turned sixteen girl named Lorena Garduño. At that time she was dressed in blue. Her hair was free; its beautiful curly hair, which made him, wished he could roll his fingers through it. The black chocker in her neck penlight her pail skins. But it was her eyes that held all his attention. There was a deep secret behind them. He had observed her all night. See how she rejected every man who even considered go near her. Her uncle was the only one who danced with her. But then something happened, something not planned at all. When she was strolling through the garden with the moon and starts as the only ones to gave some light she was attacked by two men. Lucky for her they weren't important at all. No one missed them. And none knew the innocent looking girl whom they have tried to attack killed them that night. The deeds were blamed to some members of the underground since they were known to have a lot of debts. At least that's the official notice. He used some contacts, which spread those rumors. And so, the only one who knew the truth of that incident was he. She puzzled him. It's the start of his obsession, the kind that didn't have a cure.

The next time he saw her, she was in one infamous place. Not exactly the place for a proper witch to be, but nobody was bothered by her presence. That was the perfect time for an introduction. It's a pity it wasn't the meeting he had in mind. He could still recalled that when the introductions were done; she dismissed him soo casually, like the others at the ball, and he lost completely his cool and if that wasn't enough he embarrassed himself with his child-like behavior. The only good thing about that time was the kiss he managed to steal. Thinking of how things had happened, he could honestly say it was worth all his humiliation.

The hatred in that glare…

She had just dismissed him and was turning to be on her way. When she notices his anger, evident in his eyes and the not so gentile moved of his mouth. He took her arm and pulled with some more force than necessary. She let out a small gasp and glared at him with all her might. That didn't stop him to kiss her and then whispered to her ear "Think of it as a reward for helping a murder."

He didn't bother to hide his smirk. The widened eyes and the slight shock from her face was enough for him. When he neared her again to have another taste of her, she knocked him to the other side and with the glare intensified said, "don't mess with me. You don't need two rewards. My first kiss is more than enough. Two is too much. Don't think this is the last you see of me. Better be careful or you could find yourself like them." She disappeared with only the sound of a pop left behind. What caught him unprepared was that she didn't even bothered to denied his words or simple try to be seen as innocent. The threat had been clear for any fool. But he was the kind of fool who only listened what he wanted. The challenge was there, and he would claim the victory.

In that moment he had knows she was the only one for him. He had though at first he could have her. But she was different, he knew that. It was just that he didn't quite expected that it would be so difficult to make her feel something for him and the more she rejected him the more he wanted her. She was not only beautiful but also refreshing and her no-nonsense character was what made him fall deeper in love with her, that and all the curses she put on him in all her rejections. That had to be love; there was no other way.

He even chased her to another country. He had met her in Spain and now he moved to Italy just to be able to court her and with a new head for her family it could be easier for him to have more time with her if he convince Hadrian Isegard that he was the best choice for her. Tania Isegard was going to be his one way or another. He couldn't have any other way; it was she or no one.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hadrian was getting bored none of the members of the council have come because of the problems they have, but since nobody knew about that, it didn't reflect him with a good light. Some though he was not yet accepted by them and others just were not sure where they stand with him because the members may not be there but someone of their families where there in name of them.

Guilbert wasn't there either. It wouldn't be good for some people to notice him at this crucial moment. Three days had passed since Hadrian last saw his cousin thrice removed or something like that. Guilbert was the most useful of his relatives and he knew he could count with him with everything, especially the most delicate matters as the one he had send him to find out.

When he had first saw Guilbert; he knew who he was, well more like who he will become to be. It was just a pity that was not going to happend now. At least not before he was secured as a member of the council. Sometimes he wondered if he should tell him or perhaps put him in the way of another interesting character, which will certainly want to meet him. But right now was not the proper time. His family depended of this and even with all Hadrian knew, he was certain he couldn't do it all by himself.

Hadrian has waited to met Vandor and have a better perspective of what to expect at a later time, but it was not meant to be. His sister in the other hand was not exactly what he expected. She seems like someone cold with a strong character, which makes people listen to her, even if she was younger than them; but he could see she hadn't master every part of her mask. It made him wonder if the others hadn't noticed something as clear as that and if they did, why bother with her at the moment? Maybe her brother was behind of it? Even if Hadrian seriously doubt it. If this was the kind of people in Italy, he wonders how it has stay in such a good standing for soo long. He would need to change a lot of things but for now the circumstances would help him a lot. Lost in thoughts he almost didn't notice when someone with an extraordinary and well-hidden presence got close to Ivan.

For the big smile adorning his face, Hadrian could tell the handsome man standing with his uncle was good company. The man was tall, maybe an inches taller than him. His hair was dark red, which made a good contrast with his bronze-colored skin. His green eyes told a lot about him. Hadrian like the sharp expression in those eyes, straight forward and clear.

There's no doubt. He was the chosen man for his uncle Ivan to be the one to marry the only Isegard woman. His name feared in Spain, Portugal and France for his way of life and of course the amour's Toledo motto which was never put in question, 'Nobody cross me without paying it by ten times'

Hadrian smiles for the first time since the ball began. Ivan has told him a lot about the weird relationship of Tania and Rodrigo. He laughed at those times, specially by the way Tania would cut his uncle everytime he started to say something that would certainly embarrassed her. It was time to meet him. For what Ivan had researched, Rodrigo looked for Hadrian's little cousin since their disappearance from Spain but she did some kind of ritual which made him lost track of her or get disoriented and confused everytime he got close to her. It seems it had take more time for him to undo the effects of the ritual than what Tania secretly had hoped. It was time for him to meet the famous 'useless bum' in Tania's words. He sure looks to be the kind of man that would do everything to get what he wanted. Hadrian try to not smirk, he didn't pity Tania at all. Especially since she didn't stop to bother him for an heir.

Hadrian came closer to them.

"Good evening, as the host of this party I welcome you and thank you to be here though I don't quite remember to be actually presented."

"How silly of me, it must be caused by my old age. Hadrian, my boy. This is Rodrigo Toledo" Ivan nodded in the direction of Toledo and continues, "Rodrigo, let me present you Hadrian Isegard, the newest member of the Isegard family. And of course the_ new_ head of our family"

The man didn't lose his sharp look but his eyes shine for seconds.

"Oh! The honor is all mine I assured you. I'm thankful to be invited to this gathering.," replied the man with a slight nod

"I remember now, Tania wasn't trilled to have you here but we can't be disrespectful. I have heard a lot about you." Teased Hadrian. His eyes glanced once to his uncle to see the mischief in them. His uncle knew exactly why Hadrian was so happy at the moment. Revenge was good and in the way for the little annoyance that was starting to turn to be the little flower of the serpent family.

"All good I hope" Rodrigo wasn't sure what was going on but he didn't expect Hadrian Isegard to go –_specially _when they barely knew each other for a few minutes- directly to his relationship with the not soo happy Tania. He just could hope to have his approval and if not, well there was always the kidnapping to think about.

"Of course, I have only listen to the most interesting things concerning you and it was quite amusing to see someone lose the composure to almost want to kill. Though there is a lot of other things going around you, I can only hope there are not all true but then again it would do to have a more interesting chat between us. I would like to invited you to have dinner with us sometime." True be told Hadrian was totally amused by his great grandparents. He could only smile recalling the conversation he had with Tania about him. Never before have he see her lost completely her cool and better yet get so red that he almost though she was a Weasley. He knew Tania was playing hard to get not because she wanted to be superior but because she couldn't wait to see what would he do to get her at the end.

They watched Tania from a far distance for a while. So it was reasonable that they saw just the moment when a man tries to get her to dance with him. She seems trying to get out of the situation but couldn't without just excuses and what not, so she start to look for her uncle or her cousin, Hadrian. She knew they would have to help her before she starts cursing the poor man. She spots them with Rodrigo and then her face contorted to disbelieve. She was shocked that much they were sure, but then she gave them her I'm-so-going-to-kill-you-smile and accepted the hand of the other man. Hadrian wasn't sure when Rodrigo disappeared from his side and was suddenly close to Tania. Rodrigo scared off the unwanted companion of Tania with a single glare and now the two were engaged in a fierce match.

Yes, the past was quite a surprise. He was sure to have a lot of entertainment until it was time for him to go to his destiny and meet certain blonde for his life to be perfect.

"What are you doing here? I thought I was free of your insolence for good; you took to much time for a little ritual. Don't tell me you suddenly became weak"

"You don't have to be jealous, I missed you too. I just happened to have some other business to attend which required some of my precious time, so no I didn't became weak in any way" replied Rodrigo. He had a sparkle in his eyes that made Tania worried.

"You sure? You sound like your trying to compensate for something, care to share?" She was trying to change the topic. In those two years she had really missed him and would die first than admit she find him irresistible.

"Oh that was low! Worry not I'm sure you will be quite happy on our wedding night" The teasing was clear in his voice.

"Who said we are getting married? I have not and will never give my hand in marriage to you." Her voice was low. Even if she were in love, she wouldn't go down without a fight. He has to prove he was the best out there for her. The one that wouldn't run at the first sight of trouble. And she really was happy to know he hadn't chase her because of 'business' -she already knew he had a lot of trouble with the ritual she made- and not because he wasn't interested anymore.

"Then I have never been happier knowing I don't need your permission. I only need the approval of Hadrian and since we were getting to be great pales I don't need to worry for that"

"You wouldn't dare."

"I'm insolent I thought you knew me better" said Rodrigo with such confidence that even if he didn't said out loud Tania could clearly hear the 'I would do anything to get you'

She shows a little smile and offers her hand for a dance.

The rest of the evening was passed by dancing or talking some more with some of the important players the Isegard family could use in the future and for Ivan and Hadrian to see the drama of Tania and Rodrigo, movies could not compare to them. The night was officially a succeed. It was just a pity Hadrian hadn't notice that not everything had gone according to his plans.

-. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was midnight. In a dark place underground the city a meeting was taking place in a throne room built a long time ago. Massive stonewalls rose dozens of meters from the ground, a ceiling bewitched to appear as a mirror. In the highest place of the room, a crimson throne was placed.

The man sitting in the throne was waiting. He had been there for the last two hours. The news he had received was surprising but not unexpected; for the past six months things had turned to a totally different direction.

From the shadows emerged three men. Without light theirs faces were not seen but the man in the throne look up at the mirror and saw their reflex ions with a red aura around them.

The three of them were wearing black suits with a robe over them. They got in one's kneel and lower their heads.

"We have found the one you sent us to look for" said the man in the center "The crucifix have confirmed he is the right one"

"And?" asked quietly the man in the Throne.

"We are ashamed to say we lose him again, but we managed to put a tracking charm on him. It will not be long for us to find him again," replied the man in black

A sigh escaped from the man sitting in the throne. It has been many years since they start to look for him and at last they have found him "If he is the _one_, then there was expected to find some kind of difficulty" start saying "What can you, tell me about him?"

The man on the right answered "He is powerful, my lord" a shiver running on his back at the memories of just a few hours ago "Really powerful, and he is protected by someone with more power. He is loyal to that other person"

"Tell me about how he looked like. No better yet come closer"

The man did as he was told. He already knew what was expected of him. The man in the throne grabbed him by the neck to get closer. His fangs enlarged and bite him.

A few moments later he let the man dropped to the floor getting some blood on his

Clothes. He smiles with blood showing in his teeth.

"Yes, he is the one"

Memories of the latest hours rushed at his mind when the blood touched his mouth. He could feel it like he was the one in there.

The muggle bar was famous for the rich people. It was well known that the casino was just below the ground with millions of money. The night have gone as normal as any other day until a man entered with some seriously advanced glamours that even they as vampires couldn't see through which was impossible, deception was their element. So when the man started to make bets and won, they only just look once at him. He was not there for trouble. It seems he was trying to take out some tension without losing control and at the same time make some money.

The bad part started when someone really drunk try to fight him for cheating. That could have been amusing but it was not when others followed the drunk one in their hope to get some coins back. The fight didn't last long but in that slip chance when the other lose his guarded stance some women fall on him knocking him with the table in the head with too much force for a normal human to handle.

The next thing he knew the glamours started to fade, well that seem to be at first but then the glamours –he wasn't sure how many were on him- started to change his appearance like a metamorphmagus in crisis. His hair change colors and in some occasions it grew long. His skin was tanned one moment, the it was black and again white, the stranger thing was that sometimes it gave the appearance of wrinkles. It all appeared as he was a chameleon and was changing to the forms he had taken at one time.

One of those appearences he took, Axel has reconnected. How the hell has the last king of Sanguine Rolette have appeared there when he had vanished a few years ago? Maybe the man in front of him has been a sham of that great man who defeated seven vampires at the same time. That wasn't something anybody could manage even if the vampires of that time weren't really part of the guards of Lord Vlad even though nobody needed to know that, especially at this crucial time with the council on their hides.

That was the moment when all the glamours faded. The man has chestnut-colored hair with some reddish reflexes with pale skin and green eyes. It would sound wrong even thinking about it but those eyes were dead eyes with a lot of power behind them and the worst was that he was getting angrier than when he had first walked in.

What followed assured Axel that this guy -whoever the hell he was in reality- he sure was the one, who handle the vampires in the duel, last time. The fighting stance was the same but the curses this time were not as merciful as the other occasions and maybe that had to be because there were for the kill. Lucky for them they were already dead, well kind of.

Suddenly all became silent. Axel was sure he lost his ability to listen but then a little tune as a music box was all around him. He hadn't notice but the crucifix that he had in his pocket for that day was floating and it was from it the nice tune came from. He couldn't believe his eyes. There was no way, no… impossible. The crucifix was getting closer to the man standing in the middle of all the chaos and just when he thought it would reach him. The man took some steps back trying to get space. His dead eyes for a moment before show something similar to fear; at least that was what he thought the look in his eyes meant. From the bloody head of the man something shine with too much intensity that blind him. Somehow Alex knew that man was guarded by other and then just disappeared, not before Alex managed to put a tracker on him. It would take sometime to find him again but now there was hope.

The memories finished when Alex black out. He was still young and have a lot to learn so it was normal he couldn't handle everything. He was a new trainee for his personal guard.

So the unknown man was under the protection of another? That could be a problem, but until the time arrived he wouldn't worried about it.

-. -. -. -. -. -. -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was a beautiful day. It was still early in the morning but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to be somewhere else. He enjoys a small breakfast and decides he would take a walk and clear his mind. It wasn't until afternoon that he notices what was bothering him.

Alejandro Rivera his personal financial advisor has told him about some aberrant things happening in some of his assets in France. It appeared someone was involved with those, which certainly would be paying the price for trying anything with what belongs to him.

It seems that some Marcus fellow, who happened to try to enrich him and the company he worked for with the pathetic idea of stealing his empire from under his nose, wasn't the principal idiot who wanted all his riches and empire.

That trouble situation with Marcus have been some years ago and as all those before him who happened to do something to him has pay for it. He didn't kill him, at least not personally. Death would have been a gift and he was that kind of person that takes the most important thing from those stupid enough to cross him. He condemns him to poverty and some months later his own employer killed him. That was supposed to be the end but it appear that someone else wanted a piece of him and that wouldn't do for him.

Rodrigo Toledo has to remind him that nobody should dare to cross him. This council member fellow was going to get it, pretty soon.

Ivan was not sure why he had ended in Russia, when the heirlooms he was looking for where English. Why had Hadrian put him to look for all the lost things that were from the Slytherin family? Sure they were descendant of them but, why now? What was so important that he needed them?

He did not question him and did what he could, he had been traveling all Europe for the last two years, returning in some occasion to Italy like the ball for the reintroduction of the family, the birthday of Guilbert and of course some three or four more times to help Hadrian with some of the ways on Wizarding Italy. He was tired but he had put almost all of the treasures together. Only some books and three magical objects were missing.

He was in a shop of rare books and if his information were right he would find the parcel books left behind which contained potions and some rituals.

And a perfect timing too, the birthday of Tania, July 16, was getting closer and he still hasn't buy a gift for her and with her character he could only hope to find something suitable so she wouldn't go berserk on him like last year when he gave her a beautiful pendant that was usually for women who were married or at least engaged. He certainly could have use a better way of saying she was getting old to be single but it wasn't fair to be cursed with a new creation of her. The infamous notice-me charm she did was useless for everything, unless you though someone or something changing colors in hair skin and eyes was used for something not-prank-like. He had suffered of it for three months until one healer was able to revert it. He shudders just thinking about it. He could only think of buying a good gift. He must have to find it to her taste, even before those forsaken books of Hadrian, or he could kiss his peace goodbye

-. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -. -.-.-

St Clous, refuge for animals wasn't so famous nowadays but they did their job and have the streets free of animals. It wasn't completely a surprise when they got a customer that was looking for a puppy there. What they didn't know was that their customer was looking for a dog all right, but not as a pet exactly.

"We have some that are really young. Burned here actually just a month old" said the man trying to convince the customer to give a puppy a home. The poor creature deserved it but the man was reluctant to have an old one and he couldn't understand why someone would want one that's old.

Passing a cell where was some garbage the man in suit stop and looked though it. There was a body there. A dog but why put him there. The clerk noticing him standing there try to make him follow him until he notice the man was seeing the dead dog they have found some days before. He explain to the customer that it was already dead and they were planning on buried it but there have been some complications because of others things that were priorities at the moment. They would get around to bury the dog the next day.

That in it was not a problem for the man in suit, what bothered him was the green and blue aura over the dog. It was spelled somehow. With some precise movement he took out his wand without the other man notice and stuned him. Making some other moves the cell oppened and with a quick accio the dog was at his foot. The revelo charm gave all the answer he needed. Transforming the dog to his original form he only bothered to get the identity of the murdered man and with that done he turned him again in a dog, put him in it's original place and closed the cell. He couldn't be bothered with a proper burial if he didn't knew first what was going on. He wouldn't risk his neck just to honor someone he didn't even knew, but he would get the muggle man to do the right thing for the body in his place.

He just couldn't believe that looking out for the food he wanted to get to the Lera, a magical panther which could change it's size, made him discovered something unusual but puzzling. And there was not something he loved more that a puzzle and a good challenge. It was time to make a few visits and get to know what he was looking for.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hadrian was having tea in his study. He had been working for the past months without any time for anything else, the house-elfs almost have to force him to eat. But he couldn't allowed himself to take more time to get everything sorted out.

He have only three years more to have everything ready for the arrival of Merope.

His family had been invaluable and the three of them have done their part. In was only time they needed for all the things that they have done to get the desire outcome. At least that was his believe and greatest wish. He really didn't wanted to get physical or in a duel with someone so soon. He wanted to stay low so nobody would bother him until he could assure his sucess, but alas not always he could get what he wanted and if some of the things that Guilbert discover was true then he needed to have a talk with his soon to be cousin-in-law regarded to Narde and maybe even Calve, at the latest in two days. Maybe even get him for tomorrow to Tania's birthday. It would be his gift to her, or maybe not. It was bad enough to have her making party plans or more like trying to make him date.

Cursed fate. Hadrian knew that when he complete his destiny with the prophecy and Voldemort he didn't have a fate anymore but that didn't mean the others didn't have a fate to fufill. He wasn't sure how much he could influence them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Today was her birthday. Today she got one year older. She was getting old. Soon she will be a wrinkle woman and… Oh Morgana what she would do? She was turning twenty one, with that in mind she destroyed the star-shaped jewel that was -until that moment- part of her bracelet. Once broken the little blue pieces started to glow and then joined making a new jewel this time in the form of a moon. With a smile she gathered the much bigger piece of art and saw it in more detail. The rune of fire which had appeared the previous year had change to the rune of root; that was really strange. Runes have differents meanings but for this specific rune there was just one, Commitment.

Well, damn. It couldn't be what she though. There was no way. Maybe it was the responsibility she felt towards her family? It had to be, but the dyla never had been wrong before.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

In Tania's birthday, as every year she recieve a gift from none other that her 'sweetheart' but if any of her relatives dare say as much as 'open it' her fury would fell on them. But this year it's special. The black lera was beautiful and a sneaky little bastard, Hadrian was sure of it. Totally loyal to his cousin, at least that seems to be because certainly the way it scared off any man trying to get near her that wasn't family indicate that perhaps his loyalty was with Toledo. Hadrian knew perfectly that whatever Toledo got to her have to be completely unexpected and of course the silly smile of her was enough for everyone to know she was totally in love.

Now if only she could stop her none-existent machmaker skills, he would be grateful. Even Guilbert was agreeing with him in that area. If he could only do the changes he wanted to the wards of the manor to stop the only lady of the house for bothering him everytime she was there to ensure the family with a heir. He would be a happiest man. It was just his misfortune that Guilbert was still upset with him or maybe it was more like a I-want-to-kill-you-but-I-can't thing that unable Hadrian to do anything to the wards without bringing them down because of the _changes _that Guilbert casted on them for this proposs alone. He didn't believe that bullshit of 'it's-for-your-protection-thing'. Oh! His experience with the Weasley family said that this was common for loving relatives, but come on! He was the head, not the little baby of the family. Even then he was happy to have them. His family was the most important thing. He will protect them no matter what. He was sure of it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Kanri means vigilant


	5. Two days left

He couldn't believe the betrayal of her sister. It was just too much. It was not true.

She wouldn't be able to kill him right?

It was a slow death but it wasn't painful.

He didn't want to wake up anymore. This feeling in his chest would kill him if the potion that was forced on him didn't do it first.

Time passed and he couldn't tell how much. He didn't care. He was sure dead, there was no other explanation because he didn't felt anything or so he thought.

Hands force him to sit. His head was arched back and something was forced on his throat, he didn't have the strength to stop them and by then he was not sure he wanted it to stop. The darkness welcomed him again.

He woke up suddenly and sat up to quickly. The dizziness started like some hippogriffs were stomping on him. He closed his eyes and tried to stop his headache.

There was someone in the room with him. That much he was sure but his head didn't allow him to think properly. There was something strange in the presence he felt. It's as if somehow he knew there was something hiding. It was a good distraction from his dreams which he couldn't tell if they were true or just were nightmares. Some didn't make sense at all and the one that did was so horrible he didn't wanted to believe in it. He just couldn't.

The dizziness stopped and the beginnings of a headache dissolved instantly. A wave of magic reached him and took all illness from him. It was unbelievable. It didn't existed a spell which could do that but he certainly would make everything possible to learn it. It would prove to be useful for the future.

"I'm glad you are alright already. It had been just three days. I thought it would take longer but your magical core is stronger than what I thought originally. I'm impressed and that doesn't happened frequently" The calm and collected voice said with some amusing in it "You should be able to open your eyes now. I assured you the light will not affect you"

Vandor did just that and look around him. He was in an unknown but luxury room, with elegant furniture of the last century. There was not much light coming from the windows and he only could guess it was for his benefit. He was wearing a black nightgown but he couldn't remember owning one like the one he was wearing. The bed was comfortable, more than that, it was ideal for a good rest.

Next to his bed a man was sitting, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge him. He was wearing an elegant suit made to his measures not because he could, Vandor have the impression that it was that way because it was more comfortable for him. And who was him to think otherwise. The blue color of his suit made his green eyes brighter. Vandor wasn't sure but he could almost swear that only emeralds would be able to compare to them. His skin had a nice tanning and the black hair finished the perfect features of his face, with high cheekbones and large eyelashes.

Vandor didn't known this man personally but had heard about him. The eyes was the feature that assure him the man in front of him was Hadrian Isegard the new head of the family and the man whom had made a celebration for the returning of his family to society, which he had failed to assist because of his investigation.

At that moment he felt slightly guilty for not going to meet him personally but for now he didn't know what was going on. In some part of his head he knew there was much important things to discuss. Even then a tiny voice inside his head was reluctant in finding the truth.

"I know you have many questions so I'm going to start with the basic. It is Friday the 27th" explained Hadrian to his guest "I took the liberty of saving your life by pulling out the potion that was forced in you. Do not worry there wasn't need for a healer to get involved." in a casual manner continued "It wasn't easy to get the appropriate antidote but I managed to make a potion which destroyed the venom in your system and I did some scans just to be sure that was all they did to you. Honestly if they really wanted you dead, they should have try something different"

Hadrian wasn't really going to tell him that the failed experiments he did while searching for a way to the past based on his blood was what actually helped him since he had basilisk venom on his blood and there was no better way to eliminate the venom than to have some blood that had already survived something stronger. Though it wasn't something permanent, a week was the limit for the effect which was just enough time to saved him from a sure dead.

Vandor couldn't beleive there existed someone like this man, he was crazy. He talked like his poisoning which could have caused his death was just a play, and worse he sounded bored with all of it. Like he could have done better and Vandor didn't know if that should amazed him or be frightened by it.

His thought changed drastically. The words were out before he could analize better the situation.

"It is true then? My sister did this to me to inherit the council seat?" whispered Vandor trying with all his might to react to this information as how it was, a betrayal; but for Vandor this was almost impossible. His sister was everything to him, the only family he had. This broke him deeply.

He knew how he was supposed to react. For this act alone he should kill the responsible, sister or not. Or at least that was the idea but how could he do something like that? Being reduced to do the same which was done to him? Besides he still loved her.

"Yes she did it." Answered Hadrian in a serious and darker voice "but you need to know that there may be some trick behind her assistance to your murderer. There are many options; it could be the imperious or perhaps runes. There are many ways to make someone do something against their own wills without much trouble."

"That never crossed my mind. What kind of brother I am if I beleive the worse at the first sign of trouble"

A darker thought took place in his mind and his eyes lose some brightness."But you cannot reassure me completely because you don't know for sure yourself" said Vandor with a small sad smile. He knew he should hope that Isegard was telling the truth. Reason told him otherwise.

With all this in mind he managed to bring out the words that he knew would hurt him more "So I have to make my mind deal with this until a time were it can be proved that what you are saying is the truth. Even if I want to believe it, I cannot just hope for the best while doing nothing to prepare if all of it is a lie. It only would make more troubles for me." Vandor knew hope to be a great weapon but his family and his father had raised him to never depend of others and less of all on hope. Since hope didn't return their love ones home and it certainly did nothing to protect them when he and his sister were alone. If it wasn't for his inventive mind and his great power to make it happen, they would be nothing more than a forgotten family name with some money. Vandor had learned to only trust what he could create and manipulate. There was no other way for him. It was too late to try lo learn to hope again. "I will not destroy myself for this" his voice have more conviction now, as if he was trying to reassure himself with just his words "I want to know what is really going on."

"If my sister was doing all of this at will" he stopped abruptly. In his mind there was only images of how her sister could have been planning his death. The idea of such thing just got him angrier by the minute. His eyes were narrowed and they twinkle in a dangerous way for a second. His voice was hard and the aura around him was clear in a cloudy form. Darkness was around him and he was embracing it "If it's true, then I will kill her. As head of my family I will take responsibility"

That reaction was what made able to Hadrian to understand Vandor in more personal way.

It was too early for Vandor to trust.

"In some other occasion I would have retreated and give you time to deal with this at your own pace" The dark tone was dry and uncompromising "but what it is in the game is higher than what I would like and I need your help to stop this madness before it consume not just us but the entirely country."

"what do you mean?" his confusion was obvious, blinking a few times to later turned to stare at the window for some precious seconds. Hadrian could have told anybody exactly when Vandor caught up to what had already happened around him, the gasp that followed would have made that clear "How could I almost forget, it was because of my findings that she tried to kill me."

Abruptly serious and with malice showing in his voice said "Narde and Calve are trying to get Vlad, Ragnor and Dante out of the council to hunt them down and claim their positions and privileges" In was even stranger to see that he wasn't angry at all. His eyes however told different. It was a weird feeling to Hadrian to know how this prideful man could feel enjoyment in thinking about his revenge, because that was what his eyes showed.

"Yes I know. It's why I helped you." Answered Hadrian to the untold question about his involvement in all of this.

"You see I was minding my own business when they crossed my way by accident and well since it was slightly suspicious I started an investigation by myself to know what was going on around here. See, new to the country I wanted to know everything worth knowing to improve my business and the start of some more, but what I found out was not something I could just ignored."

"I will do what I must" said Vandor with authority.

"That's all I wanted to hear" replied immediately Hadrian

"Thank you for this gift" murmured Vandor

"What do you mean?" asked Hadrian with a raised eyebrow

"Trusting in someone is the same as depending on them" started saying Vandor. His eyes changed and the seriousness in his voice was evident "that is something the weak do"

The snorted of Hadrian was enough answer but he didn't want doubt to destroy what could be a good friendship "We have different ways of thinking. I can be manipulator when I want it but I know when is better to trust and share the responsibility so I don't end destroying what I care most about myself" with that said Hadrian got up and went out of the room.

Vandor wouldn't know for years to come how skillfully Hadrian has manipulated him without even trying. It was not just for it being his weak moment, it was because Hadrian made Vandor see things with another perception, which allowed him vision to what would happen and used it according to his own plans for the future.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"So he is ready?" Asked Guilbert in his best I-know tone

"He will do for now." Replied Hadrian without much interest in the topic "The future awaits for us to change it and Fini will be in his best game when I'm done with him"

Guilbert could not contain the smile breaking from his face. It was such Hadrian-behavior which reminds him of how really was the head of the family. It was almost scary how he could do what he wanted. Guilbert knew that if Hadrian really proposed he and his other two relatives would be slaved by him and not even realize it and of course the fact that they could get away with some of the pranks they pulled on him and his child-like-behavior when they did something annoying was enough for Guilbert to know how much Hadrian loved them.

-.-.-.-.-.-

"Such cold and sharp eyes don't suit you at all" Mario Corza said to one of his old friends "what's on your mind?"

"Nothing you should concern about" replied Rodrigo with a no-nonsense aura around him.

"But I do. You seem to forget that as your friend I'm entailed to be concerned about your well being" said Mario "those eyes tell me much about what are you going to do and for that alone I will come with you"

"So you said. You don't even know what is going on"

"This is the moment you should tell me so I know what to expect and of course to renew my will. Never is early enough to make it and with you as my friend it is a necessity to be ready for anything" said amusing, almost like an inside joke. His grey eyes twinkle and narrowed barely, his tone of voice was the same but there was a hint that assured he was serious about his next words "even death."

This past few days had been eye opening in many aspects for Rodrigo. Starting with the discovery of a fraudulent act to get an all-out-war with extremely powerful beings in Italy, courtesy of Hadrian Isegard.

The intrigue didn't involve him and it was sure as hell he wouldn't care about it either if not for his findings about someone that had already crossed him in a bad way. It wasn't surprising to know that his victim was involved in something bigger. It would have been insulting if someone with the nerve to do just that wouldn't be where there was going to be trouble to follow.

No, the thing that put Rodrigo in this bad mood was how he got involved. Seriously who would have thought that the simple task of searching the food of his present to Tania managed to land him in the middle of trouble was something he could swear was unique for him. What he was trying to explain was a simple How the hell have this happened without me knowing? maybe it was time to start believing in fate? Or maybe he was getting paranoic. In the back of his mind he could swear someone have made a pass to him without getting caught.

Even now he wanted to get his piece of certain man and since his problems with him were way before his planning of taking Italy he made his claim clearly to Hadrian. The smile, more like smirk, he got in return made him narrowed his eyes, but of one thing he was sure. Miguel Narde was going to sink because of him. He was Rodrigo Toledo and his family motto wasn't something you try to cross without getting your ass beated.

The information he managed to gather from the old man of Kanri were quite compromising. It must have been desperation what made the things that happened lead to end the way it did.

It was precisely because of this information that Rodrigo have to act first. There was no way Fini wouldn't want to kill personally the man behind his attempt of murder and the manipulation of his little sister. This last matter he hadn't told anyone. For some strange reason he just knew this wasn't the proper time for that. Besides he could bet Isegard already knew it or at least suspects it, and since he never lost thanks to his rare ability with luck, there was no way he was the only one aware of this fact. There was just the question to why Hadrian hadn't said anything.

Hadrian was just a mystery. Ruthless and cruel with what he thought was in his way, if Rodrigo's reading of people was any good way to know and he pride himself in that fact. The friendship offered by Hadrain was certainly temping to accept and that without contemplating Hadrian's influence in his happily-ever-after-marriage to be with the cousin of said person.

Besides Hadrian's influence in the country had been getting noticed by those involved in the exclusive circles and the information was well worthy in many aspects, especially with the business Rodrigo had in mind and was already planned to the every detail just waiting for the right moment to implement in this new country.

There was just too much intrigue for his liking. Too much to analyze and of course there was holes in his information. Only the best of the best in business knew what kind of information have the most value and Rodrigo knew he was missing some of it to make the winner choice.

He was not going to risk anything for this game which he was not already willing to give.

The only good thing of the week was the visit from Mario and the special cake he brought with him -which could only be found in Spain. His sweet teeth welcomed the distraction even if it was just for a few hours.

Rodrigo had yet to decide what he would do to Narde. It was quite the difficult choice and more troublesome was the limited time he had to make his move before someone try to steal his prey. Even with the reassured of Hadrian about his claim of Miguel, he couldn't just take it for granted and be sure all would respect it. He was the first in the 'making Narde suffer' list and as such he wanted to do something which would destroyed him and at the same time wasn't lethal at least for a few days. Narde deserved to suffer after all he did in his quest for wealth.

Such a idiotic man. If you wished wealth, you have to show first your power and not just influence or allies. No, you had to have real power, it was all about your potential in magic, without it you could not aspire for anything. Nobody with self-respect would followed someone who couldn't back himself with his own magical power. There were exceptions, but only because they were as weak or weaker than the one they followed. Even then they would never followed him for long, it would had been just for the necessary time for them to stab on their back and take everything for themselves. They would never be loyal nor respected for the others. Such a pity that Narde didn't happened to know any of this as was expected for many of the oldest families. It made him wonder how a man without the necessary magical power could manage to be a member of the Italian council. He probably had done something more to assure his place there.

Rodrigo looked directly to the eyes of his best friend since early childhood. The grey eyes that greated him told him what he needed. It was good to have such loyal friends and of course it paid when that friend was brilliant when solving a puzzle and was he forgetting already the unique abilities of his gray eye friend? There was no doubt now. Mario was a sign of what was to come if not he wouldn't have bothered to visit him in a country he didn't care about.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Narde was celebrating his success. He now has the vote needed to declare war.

He had known of the wards surrounding the Italian stone. The temple was nothing if not well protected. Only the chosen members were allowed to enter and this same protections could remove any spell that would made the members take others decisions, in other more simple words the wards also provide protection to the members, especially their minds. An imperious curse would be lifted by the wards in seconds. There was no way for a member to be controlled by another.

It was such a pity that it hadn't the same protection for manipulation. Calve had removed the Amormentia from Marissa Fini and since the potion ensured she didn't remember anything compromising, it took little to masterfully manipulate the girl to believe him in everything.

At this very moment Marrisa was grieving his brother's dead caused by those creatures because he had found out the true of their betrayal. At least that was what she thought.

It was just a matter of a few days for the council to gather. This time they will prevail and have those half-breeds put in their rightful place.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Merope felt that something had happened in her last birthday even if she couldn't put her finger on it. What she was sure was that the change lasted for only a day.

Lately the job of her father had allowed them to get better things but not for much. Morfin and Merope had acquired a considerable sum of money from the things they had stolen from the muggles with the help of their magic. To say that they had perfected the summoning charm was an understatement even with the useless wand of Merope and the terrible control of Morfin. The money they managed to collect was given to their father, who would later take it to Gringotts and change it to wizarding currency. Merope only knew they were getting their account in the bank bigger little by little but she didn't know what for. When she got enough courage to ask her bother -since it was easier to talk with him- the answer she got was "it's for our future, more yours than ours but it's for the best. Father knows what he is doing and we just have to trust him."

The answer was not enough for her but to discover what was really happening was going to take time. She was lucky that time wasn't a problem for her. Besides she didn't give all the money or things that she managed to steal to her father. She guarded her coins well and knew that in any moment that something happened which she didn't approve; she could run and have some resources to get by. Her new friends in the village would be useful if such case came to happen.

For the last years she became what her father always wanted. She became a blood purist but even then she acknowledge that some muggles could be used in many ways to her benefit, such was with the man from which she buy their food. Just a well placed compliment and he would reduced the price. It was just a matter of finding what was the best way to manipulate someone and do it. Merope wasn't arrogant enough to even think that she knew how to do it well, let alone masterfully but she was learning fast and that was what only matter to her. It was easier if she practiced with muggles from the village since they didn't think much of her. There was no way that the poor little country girl could even have the capacity to try and fool them.

This little changes in her behavior where unexpected but welcomed in many ways. She was sure that last year, she wouldn't even dare to think about doing what was now her second nature for fear to her family. This hidden side of her made her feel free even if she knew she had to hide it from his family for the time being. She had to improve little by little so his father didn't think something was wrong with her since she feared what he would do to her if such event came to happen. This fear was caused by the strange things that had happened to her for the last years, she seriously thought something was going on inside of her but since it was only good for her she didn't want anyone to intervene with whatever was happening to her. She was only fifteen years old and as such she thought she knew better that anyone else.

She wasn't as clumsy and inadequate as usual and her family took notice of it. Her brother was more understanding with her and didn't yelled for everything that she made wrong or insulted her as much as before. His father would only stared at her for long time and smirked showing in his eyes that he knew a secret and would not tell. Merope would felt anxious about him founding out her secret but nothing ever happened. So she started to think that maybe he was proud of her, of not having such a failure as his child.

Sometimes Morfin just seem to think that he was an only child and then he would noticed her in the corner of the room or in the kitchen. It was weird but it seem as he just noticed that his little sister was growing up and for some strange reason he would start to teach her about ancestral and important families and then he would tell her which were older or have more influence in politics.

She wasn't sure why he did that but she wasn't complaining. She had learned a lot from him and took pride from her family and their accomplishments, also she now knew the reason for them to be so poor when they were an old family. It seem that three generations back they were as the others family, with a good reputation and money; also with a seat in the Winzengamont. For their disgrace the family head of the time was a gambler and not only satisfied with getting the family fortune to three sickles and a knut, he actually got in a big fight with another lord and in the duel he died getting the honor and reputation of the family to damnation. The aunt of his children from their mother family took them in but she was already old and her family didn't have that much money to begin -that was one of the motives for the sister to marry an old and rich family- but it was such their bad luck that their aunt died a few years later and they barely with the adequate age to start school were abandoned, nobody wanted to have anything to do with them since they were ruined and so the eldest at that time with thirteen years old lead his sister and brother to where the family now reside. A nice summer house they had inherited from their aunt since where they had lived previously with her was a rented house which was to be her home until she died as was arranged by to the will of her late husband. However with the pass of years the summer house needed new wards and maintenance and there was no money for either so they house got to the deplorable manner in which was today.

With the knowledge of her family she was deeply sad, but at the same time she developed a hatred for her great grandfather and now understood better why her father acted the way he did and why he was such a proud man even when he didn't should be since they have nothing to be proud of, at least she thought that until her father heard her talking to herself of such things and gave her such a punishment that made her see the true. Her father was not proud of their blood or their non-existent money or anything of that matter. He was proud because even if the family have a lot of problems, they had survived.

In the last month Merope became to be indifferent to what happened around her. The lesson from the family history, together with the new developments in her person made her to analyze everything first, so she wouldn't put faith or hope where it was futile and at the same time construct plans for her future. They were always changing depending on what Merope was thinking at the time, even then she was sure that in two more years she would search for a job in apothecary. Potions were her strong point and she would do whatever needed to exploit it. It was a matter of time to get out of her father house and make life for herself if she didn't have to run first since she still didn't know what her father had planned for them. Her courage was not at all developed, she knew that like any Slytherin, in the inside she was a coward but an intelligent one.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Vandor was sitting in a grand balcony with a beautiful view. The gardens were well kept and he was enjoying his time resolving the maze that was in a side with the use of a spell that draw in a flash of color the right way. Each time he resolved it, the plants would move and make a new maze for him to resolve. He was happy to notice that the maze was getting more difficult every time.

A slightly difference in the atmosphere was enough for him to notice the presence of a new person which was just sitting in his table. This were the times where he thanked whatever convinced him of doing some family rituals to have better reflexes and in this case to be able to notice others presence that were near him. He was sure there was not a person without this special ritual who could get the announcement of the arrival of one Guilbert Isegard.

"It seems you have discovered our infamous maze. I hope it has been good entertainment" said a cold voice at his side

"yes, it has been interesting. I was starting to get bored in my room" replied Vandor

"It just for a few days and then your great act will happen." the amusing tone in his voice was hard to get by just listening to Guilbert but Vandor have been trained to be able to do it "By then everything will return to normality"

"Not sure of that last thing you said but yes I'm getting impatient to have the act over"

"No, your impatient is for something else" this time the voice didn't have a definite emotion "something related to Hadrian"

"Why do I inspired such trust?" Vandor asked at last. He knew that things like what happened to him were not usually how he or anyone would had handled like he had seen so far. What was the difference? The real one that made him stand where he was right now. No that he was complaining about his rescue from death but he just didn't understand at all "how long will it last?" he whispered.

Guilbert smiled for the first time since Vandor was introduced to him "It will last as long as you allow it." Was the simple replied. To simple to Vandor taste.

"You have not inspired trust, Hadrian is just naturally trusting." Said Guilbert with a knowing smirk. That was the understatement of the century at least for what relate to Vandor. Hadrian only trust in family and even then have his own secrets. But Guilbert wasn't going to say that to an outsider.

"be warned, you have to return that trust or you will find that even Hadrian's trust won't last forever." And with that said Guilbert would have conclude the conversation, sadly it was not to be.

"I don't believe you. Not all anyway. Return that trust is not easily done. Besides there has to be more than just trust. What do you really want? To be in the council's debt? To be part of it? What is it? What is what you desire to obtain for this? I wouldn't believe you are doing it for the good will of your heart. I'm not that naive."

Guilbert shook his head. His dead eyes were again in his beautiful face "You don't like relying on anyone but yourself do you?" his replied hit head on "you don't trust others easily" His inexpressive tone was back "the notion that Hadrian would trust you when you know you have done nothing to deserve it, is an enigma to you."

Vandor didn't know how to answer, when everything that Guilbert had said was true. He didn't know how to react to this kind of circumstance. This wasn't part of his training to be a House Lord. It confused him. It scared him.

Guilbert cocked his head to a side and then raised an eyebrow. "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" Vandor yelled at him automatically. In an instinct way he knew he has to defend himself before his reason acknowledges his fears, about the situation, about his sister, about everything.

Guilbert looked him in the eyes and then stood up from his chair and turned away. Walking slowly Guilbert was letting him go and the suddenly he looked over his shoulder and said "Yes you are. You are afraid to trust. Even more so than that, you are afraid to hope, that what is happening is real." Guilbert looked straight and continued to walk with his hands in his pockets, but his voice was loud enough for Vandor to hear every word "I don't know you and so I don't know why you are who and what you are. But I can tell you that you don't like trusting anyone but yourself because of your position and that will be you downfall. If nobody has your back you are an easy target. Remember it already happened. Be careful of what your choice will be or there may not be a second chance for you."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Inside the study Hadrian was looking at the scene of his cousin and his guest which was taking place just a few rooms down the hall from his mirror. The same one he had retrieve from the family vault or better yet cave -it was more accurate.

His small smile and the brightness on his eyes reflect the pride he felt for his cousin. All his words have been true and at the same time he has avoided a direct answer. All in all, Hadrian would applaud his performance.

The near death of Vandor allowed him to understand that life was so easy to end. That no matter what, you could not live with regrets.

-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-..-

Milo was taking his daily afternoon coffee. To his kind of life it was a necessity to be always aware of everything surrounding him and for that he needed it. A house-elf appeared and left a note in his table. He read it just before taking a sip for his drink and then the sound of the cup breaking against the floor and of the coffee spilling was all that he needed to react.

The note was from a reliable source, but he couldn't quite believe it. Vandor Fini was dead and his funeral was to be that very same night.

War, was the only thing that crossed his mind. He needed to meet with Calve and Narde soon.

-.-.-.-.-.-.

In a blue room full of aquariums three men receive a similar note

"they have made their move" the man with the black hat said

"We should be prepared" replied the one with light-blue skin "the meeting is in a few days"

"it seems it couldn't be avoided" said the man still hidden in the shadows "it's a declaration of war"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-

In a grand study with huge windows, a man was standing alone. The moonlight the only thing that give some kind of form to the dark figure. A silver bracelet reflected the light in his left hand, the same hand which hold a small card. It was an invitation to a funeral.

"And so it begins" said Hadrian to no one in particular.

His amusement made him chuckle. It was weird to receive a funeral invitation for someone who was sleeping in one of his guest rooms.

Only two more days.


End file.
